


Princesses of Stars and Flames

by eutopia



Series: Princesses of Stars and Flames [1]
Category: Winx Club
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Best Friends, Canon - Comics & Cartoon Combination, Canon-Typical Violence, Coming of Age, Divorce, Drama, F/F, F/M, Family Issues, Female-Centric, Feminist Themes, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Girl Power, LGBTQ Themes, Magic, Non-Canon Relationship, Retelling, Romance, Royalty, Season/Series 01, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Stella-centric, Strong Female Characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 48,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24962656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eutopia/pseuds/eutopia
Summary: Crown Princess Stella of Solaria is ready to return to Alfea Academy for Fairies after her disastrous first year (though the explosion in the potions lab was so not intentional). But a fated encounter on a magicless planet changes everything, tying her destiny to that of a girl with mysterious powers, unknown origins, and a fire inside as bright as the Fairy of the Shining Sun herself.An alternate version of season 1 from Stella's POV, or how things could've been if Stella and Bloom went on to not only become best friends but also slowly fall in love with each other.
Relationships: Bloom/Sky (Winx Club), Bloom/Stella (Winx Club), Brandon/Stella (Winx Club), Codatorta/Palladium (Winx Club), Darcy/Riven (Winx Club), Darko/Icy (Winx Club), Diaspro/Sky (Winx Club), Flora/Mirta (Winx Club), Lucy/Mirta (Winx Club), Musa/Riven (Winx Club), Radius/Stella's Mother Luna (Winx Club), Tecna/Timmy (Winx Club)
Series: Princesses of Stars and Flames [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1806688
Comments: 48
Kudos: 116





	1. The realm of the shining sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella isn’t looking forward to her second try at Alfea after the schoolboard’s unanimous decision to expel her only a few months ago. But if she must go back, she has to at least try to talk her best friend Varanda’s straight-laced parents into letting her attend Alfea too. If only they weren’t the ruling monarchs of Calixto, everything would be so much easier…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first fic for Ao3, and of course my first one for the Winx Club fandom and this amazing couple. Bloom and Stella have amazing chemistry, and there should be more stories with them together! That’s mainly why I began working in this retelling of the original series, to see how the storyline could change if they became a couple. Stella has always been my favorite character in the series and writing from her perspective has been funny but also challenging, seeing as she has a distinct voice and a very strong personality. I hope you’ll have as much fun reading it as I’ve had writing it!
> 
> It’s thanks to other amazing writers that I’ve ended up publishing my work here, to see it next to other stories I enjoyed! I really recommend gins_potter’s great retelling, [Secrets of the Dragon Flame](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12474860/chapters/28393428), as well as Ghost Guardian’s beautiful Bloom/Stella one-shot, [what the stars sang to me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22783306). I love them both!

For once, Stella wishes she wasn’t the crown princess of Solaria and heiress to the throne. If she were an ordinary girl, she wouldn’t have to wake up this early to go back to school. Instead, she could stay home with her father and try to convince her mother to return to the palace, even though her efforts are almost always useless. But she is a princess, destined to reign one of the mightiest realms of the magical dimension, which is the only reason why the prestigious Alfea Academy for Fairies has readmitted her after she was expelled last semester. Stella can only guess what her father must have done to force Headmistress Faragonda’s hand like that. The one time she tried to bring up the subject ended up in a tedious lecture about what was expected of Solaria’s future queen.

Stella sighs. It’s boring just to think about it again. She throws off the silky covers of her canopy bed and stifles a yawn as she stretches. Then she steps out of the bed and walks towards her bathroom, almost falling when she stumbles on a pair of furry slippers lying on the floor. But a hand grabs her in the nick of time and steadies her. She looks up and finds herself face to face with Nova.

“Good morning, sleepyhead! I can’t believe you’re this clumsy.”

“It wasn’t my fault!” Stella whines and glares at the offenders, but the rabbit plushies on top of the slippers don’t seem to care much for her. “It was theirs. Stupid bunnies.”

“Stella, don’t say that,” Nova grins. “They’re adorable. In fact, why don’t you take them back to Alfea? I’m sure everyone in your dorm will love them.”

“You’re insufferable. And I can’t believe you’re even joking about opening the suitcases up again, after all those hours we spent yesterday trying to close them.”

“I know, I know,” Nova rolls her eyes but joins her in front of the mirror. “I don’t know what your hair has done to you, but you’re being downright vicious.”

Stella ignores her and keeps brushing her long, flowy blonde hair. She loves it, even though she has tried countless beauty products to smooth it during the night and not a single one of them has worked against her frizzy bed hair. When her brush gets stuck in yet another tangle, she lets out an exasperated sigh.

“Here, let me do it,” Nova grabs the brush from her hands, smiling.

Stella sits in a nearby stool and lets herself be pampered. Nova is skilled enough to work through the knots in her hair without hurting her, while at the same time making her feel as if she were lying on a massage table. At times like these, she’s unable to forget how many years Nova’s family has been in the palace, working hard for Solaria’s royalty, including herself. But after a lifetime together, Nova is and will always be a friend instead of just her personal maid. After a few minutes of peace and quiet, Stella has relaxed enough to almost forget that tomorrow is her first day of school. Almost.

“I’m going to miss you,” she says suddenly, startling Nova, who stops brushing. “I mean it. I wish you weren’t such a baby.”

“Shut up,” Nova nudges her shoulder, playful. “You’re only three years older than me; it’s not that big of a difference. I’ll be able to join you at Alfea soon enough.”

Stella bites back the bitter remark that almost made its way out of her mouth. Because if Nova can attend Alfea by her side at all, it’s because she’ll have to study for four years instead of the usual three. Headmistress Faragonda told her father that she would only let her return if there were severe consequences for her actions. For Stella, having to begin again as if she were a new student is punishment enough. She befriended a few classmates right after classes began, and all of them will now be moving without her. For a while, she didn’t care much for it since Varanda would be joining her, but even that ray of hope has ended up vanishing.

“I saw a message from Varanda when I woke up,” Stella says, instantly gaining Nova’s attention. “Her parents are sending her to Beta Academy instead. Can you believe it?”

“But everyone knows Alfea is the best school for fairies in Magix,” she gives her a puzzled look. “Why settle for second best after managing to get into Alfea?”

“I know…” Stella sighs yet again. “I wasn’t expecting her parents to suddenly make such a choice. They were pretty set on letting us go to Alfea together last time I visited Calixto, back in spring.”

Stella notices how Nova’s reflection in the mirror bites her lip, seemingly waiting for her to keep talking, but she ignores her and goes back to examining her nails. She’s been trying a few of the newer, summery nail polishes but so far, the results have been underwhelming. While she looks at them, she wonders somewhat absent-mindedly if Varanda’s change of schools has something to do with her father’s unplanned visit to Calixto a few days ago. He wouldn’t go as far as to tell the king and queen not to send their daughter to Alfea with her. No, there’s no way.

“Do you want me to do your hair? You know, since it’s your first day and you’ll be dressed to impress, as always,” Nova winks and Stella finds herself smiling. “Double ponytails are the ones that suit you the best.”

“I think I’ll leave it loose,” Stella says, standing up and walking back to her bedroom. She picks up some outfits she left prepared last night and puts the first one on with a quick spell, shuffling between them with only a snap of her fingers. Nova seems to approve the first few, but as soon as the orange dress comes up, she wrinkles her nose and Stella stops.

“What’s wrong with this one?”

“Where do I begin?” Nova scoffs. “Long dresses don’t exactly scream ‘first-year Alfea fairy’ to me, Stella. Also, isn’t it way too revealing, even for you?”

“I was seriously considering wearing it,” Stella examines her reflection in the mirror, satisfied to see how the dress hugs her hourglass figure in all the right places. “It’s the only one elegant enough to visit the royal castle of Calixto, don’t you think?”

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to sneak into Varanda’s room and take her to Magix with you!”

“Of course not,” Stella barely manages to look offended. “I’m only going to try to convince her parents to give Alfea a chance. She’s a princess: she can get back into Beta whenever she wants, even after school starts.”

“That’s not the point!” Nova takes a deep breath, apparently steeling herself before continuing. “You can’t just simply show up at their castle whenever you want to. Also, do I have to remind you that you’re meeting the king before taking the portal to Alfea? When exactly are you going to sneak to Calixto?”

After one last look, Stella decides the orange dress is her best bet and swiftly discards the others. As she pairs it up with beaded sandals and a teal headband, she goes over her plan in silence one last time before laying it out loud for Nova.

“It’s simple enough: since I’m meeting Dad up in the tower, I’m sure he’ll have to leave sooner than expected for another council meeting. I’ll go to the portal room as if I were headed straight for Alfea, but I’ll take the one to Calixto instead. Talking to Varanda and her parents won’t take that long, so I’ll have more than enough time to take their portal to Magix. School starts tomorrow, so Atlas has booked me a suite at this hotel… I can’t remember the name now. Anyway, it’s one of those urban ones Mom is so fond of. A hovercar will take me to the campus early in the morning. Easy enough.”

Nova nods but even then, she doesn’t look half as sure as Stella herself. Still, she knows very well by now that once she decides something, there’s no backing down from it, so she doesn’t say a word. Stella shrinks her massive suitcases to the size of a trinket and wraps them around her pinky finger, right beside the ring of Solaria. It’s a family heirloom as ancient as Solaria’s three Suns, and her father’s present for her sixteenth birthday. After the ball that took place in the palace’s salons, he took her for a walk in the outer gardens, during which he told her all about the ring and how it had passed from one ruler to the next from the very beginning of their dynasty. If it weren’t for that, Stella would surely replace it from time to time with other accessories that matched her everyday outfits, but out of respect, she keeps it on at almost all times. Also, the magic boost it gives her is nothing short of impressive.

“I’m ready!” Stella walks up to Nova and gives her a long hug, all too aware of how much their height difference has shortened. “Promise me you’ll be there in case of a fashion emergency.”

“And in case of boy trouble too, don’t forget,” she says, chuckling. “I still think you should send that prince of yours a friend request. It’s fine for us to take the first step sometimes, you know?”

“No way! Boys come after me, and not the other way around,” Stella smirks. “Either way, I'll see Prince Sky again soon enough. I’ll text you as soon as I do, I swear.”

After one last look back, Stella leaves Nova and her room behind and heads out, only to find out that the palace’s hallways are as hectic as usual. Stella nods politely every time a hurried servant or an idle courtier bows to her before moving forward. It gets tiring real fast, and she looks forward to running through Alfea’s corridors without a care in the world. But at last, she reaches the Aviary Tower, the glasshouse where her father keeps his precious doves. He suggested meeting there because it’s the only place in the palace where their privacy is guaranteed, and Stella is inclined to agree.

But King Radius isn’t there. Stella waits for almost an hour, but he never shows up.

Atlas, the royal advisor, comes in his place. His downcast gaze alone is enough to convey her father’s message. Stella sighs but says nothing, blaming herself for even having any hope in the first place.

“Your Highness, I’m sorry. I’m afraid the king is currently in a meeting and is unable to bid you farewell. Nevertheless, he wishes you the best in your—”

“Save it,” Stella tries hard not to snap at him, knowing her father is the only one who has let her down, yet again. “Please, let him know he shouldn’t expect me to come back home during the fall. I’m sure I’ll be very busy with schoolwork.”

“As you wish, Your Highness,” Atlas bows to her before he leaves, and Stella can see how uncomfortable the situation makes him as he closes the golden doors after him.

Stella doesn’t leave right away, but rather sits on a nearby bench and watches the doves soaring across the cloudless skies of Solaria. The distance separating her from her father grows every time he fights with her mother and she steps in, desperate to end their argument. As always, she’s been quick to say something she may regret after all her anger has faded away. But her pride is hard for her to swallow, and she’s determined to stay true to her own words. She’ll leave for Alfea and won’t return until next spring.

After scattering some seeds all over the marble floor to feed the birds, Stella heads to the palace’s portal room with a newfound purpose. Maybe she can’t storm into the council room to talk to her father, but she sure can travel to Calixto and convince Varanda and her parents that Alfea is the best fairy school for her. Her friend was so excited to go to the academy with her that Stella can’t give up without even trying. Calixto is a faraway world with few connections to other realms, so her parents have always viewed their friendship as a symbol of their alliance with Solaria, one of the greatest nations of the magical dimension. Being its princess does have its advantages now and then.

Stella does the guards a favor and ignores the confused look they share while opening the portal room for her. She’s unabashedly fond of gossip herself, so she flashes them an uncaring smile before heading to the door that leads to the inside of Calixto’s royal castle. For a moment, she wonders if Varanda’s parents may find her unannounced visit to be offensive, but realizes how unlikely it is and steps in.

The corridor before her is colorless and shapeless, seeing as it’s a limbo outside the time-space continuum. Since she’s used to teleporting to other realms alongside her father for his official visits, Stella knows she needs to picture in her head another location to keep a steady balance and prevent any side effects, such as dizziness or temporary amnesia. What she sees after closing her eyes and opening them again is Alfea’s main plaza, the center of the academy and where students go for walks, practice their magic and steer clear of Griselda’s hawk-like stare. Weirdly enough, a part of her is eager to return.

Stella loses track of time, as it always happens during space travel, but at last, she reaches the light at the end of the tunnel and opens a door identical to the one she crossed earlier. She recognizes the portal room of Calixto’s royal castle even before she steps inside, seeing as she’s been visiting Varanda for years now. The room guardian welcomes her with propriety, though he seems thrown off by her unexpected arrival.

“Princess Stella of Solaria,” he bows before her. “I’m delighted to welcome you back to our world. May I ask if you are here to see Princess Varanda?”

“I was hoping to speak with both her and her parents,” Stella smiles. “Would you happen to know if the King and the Queen are available?”

“I’d have to ask you to wait in the princess’s waiting room while one of the maids tells them you’re here,” he leads her to a small parlor and offers her a seat. “It’ll be quick.”

Stella nods and the portal guardian takes his leave. She takes out her comm and scrolls down her feed. Of course, several gossip sites from all over the magical dimension have already found out about her return to Alfea, though the details of her expulsion still are a secret from the general public, bless the stars. She poses for a quick selfie, tags herself as well as Varanda, and posts it to the net with a quick caption about her trip to Calixto. Her friend may find out she’s there because of the picture since her comm's notifications are sure to be quicker than the maid the guardian has sent to fetch her. So Stella makes herself comfortable in the armchair and browses her social media while she waits.

“Stella? You’re here!”

Varanda walks into the parlor and wraps her arms around her. Stella hugs her back with a smile, letting the taller girl lift her from the armchair until they are face to face.

“Sorry I didn’t tell you beforehand,” she says sheepishly. “But when I got your message, I didn’t know what to do. I can’t go to Alfea without you, V. We have to convince your parents to let you come.”

“They’ve been pretty clear…” Varanda bites her lip, something she does whenever she’s nervous. “For whatever reason, they insist that Beta Academy is a better choice.”

“Beta?” Stella is outraged now and in a serious need to vent. “Everyone knows it’s full of stupid and stuck-up debutantes that don’t even know what a simple spell looks like!”

Varanda stares at something behind her, and when Stella turns around, she understands why. King Lyres of Calixto and his wife, Queen Cyllene, have just arrived at the waiting room, in time to hear Stella’s sudden rant. The queen seems to be stifling a small laugh, but the king doesn’t look at all happy to see her there.

“Princess Stella,” he begins. “To what do we owe the honor of your…ahem, unexpected visit?”

“Your Majesties,” Stella bows her head slightly, glad that the interdimensional protocol puts them in equal rank, hence why there’s no need for her to curtsy. “Varanda told me this morning about your decision to send her to Beta Academy instead of Alfea. I wanted to ask you to reconsider.”

“Why would I do that?” the king frowns and Stella wonders what she has done to annoy him this much. “Our choice is final. Varanda will begin tomorrow her first year at Beta Academy, whether she likes it or not. Is that all you came for, Princess?”

“Dad!” Varanda pleads, sharing a frantic look with her mother. “Why are you being this stubborn? Alfea is the best fairy academy in Magix, you even said so right when we visited the school this very spring. I don’t understand this sudden change of mind…”

“Lyres, dear,” the queen puts her hand on his shoulder. “I think the girls have the right to know. You knew they wanted to go to school together. Since your decision was so sudden, maybe there’s still time for you to reconsider.”

“That is precisely the problem!” King Lyres stares at Stella, downright furious. “I refuse to let my daughter go there if you come along, even if it’s the best academic institution of the whole magical dimension! Even more so now, seeing that you’re entitled enough to visit my castle uninvited and tell me what to do regarding my daughter’s education. I believe you’ve crossed one too many lines, princess.”

An uncomfortable silence takes over the room. The king’s sudden outburst has frozen Varanda, who keeps her eyes down as if by doing so she could disappear from the castle entirely. Next to her, the queen grabs her husband’s arm and forces him to look at her, seemingly upset with him. But Stella understands for the first time that some things won’t ever be the same, that it’s her fault this happened, that by now everyone she knows is aware of her expulsion.

“Excuse me. I should’ve never come here,” Stella bows her head again before heading to the door. “I apologize for bothering you.”

“Stella, wait!” Varanda shouts behind her.

But she doesn’t look back. She walks to the portal room and closes the door behind her. Since the guardian is nowhere to be seen, she assumes she’s finally alone and lets a tear fall down her cheek. She may be crying, but it’s not because she’s ashamed, she says to herself, but because she’s enraged. King Lyres has always been kind to her, ever since she first met Varanda, even though he’s always been stricter than her father. But now he’s so sure that she’s a bad influence that he’s desperate to keep them apart. And Stella is tired of adults, of their pointless reasonings and their unopposed tyranny. She’s done with Varanda’s father, but she’s also done with her parents and their endless fighting. With her mother, who’s no longer around when she needs her, but also with her father, who’s said nothing to her about his reunion with King Lyres, during which he surely found out what he really thought of her.

As her eyes fill with tears, Stella opens the portal connecting that connects Calixto with Magix. Her increasingly blurry vision makes it difficult for her to step inside and walk through the space corridor, but she manages to keep a steady pace, eager to reach Magix’s portal hub once and for all.

A sudden burst of light comes out of nowhere, startling her. Stella takes a step backward, hoping it’s not too late to return to the castle. But she fails to find a footing. Either she’s been unlucky enough to be affected by a rare netspace error or something is terribly wrong.

Everything fades away. Stella is falling. She screams and screams until her voice dies in her throat and she cannot breathe anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter, I’ve drawn from the first few episodes of the animated series, mostly a few facts here and there. Mainly, I’ve tried to imagine what happened to Stella prior to her arrival on Earth and her encounter with Bloom. You’ll see that the first few chapters stick closer to canon, but the story will diverge more and more from there.
> 
> Next chapter's summary:
> 
> _Stella’s sure that the world she’s landed in isn’t Solaria, Calixto or Magix, nor anywhere else within the magical dimension. But the fact remains that there are monsters after her (all of them so hideous that she’d otherwise volunteer to give them a makeover), and a puny redheaded girl doesn’t exactly fit her image of a knight in shining armor._


	2. An unexpected encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella’s sure that the world she’s landed in isn’t Solaria, Calixto or Magix, nor anywhere else within the magical dimension. But the fact remains that there are monsters after her (all of them so hideous that she’d otherwise volunteer to give them a makeover, by the way), and a puny redheaded girl doesn’t exactly fit her image of a knight in shining armor.

As she awakens, Stella remembers all those times she has laid over the uncut grass of the woods outside of Solaria’s royal palace, enjoying the sun’s warm rays as if they were kisses trailing all over her skin. After she slowly opens her eyes, a mere glance around is enough to make her realize that she has landed in a place she doesn’t recognize. It resembles neither Calixto’s floating cities nor Solaria’s lush and sunny fields. Of course, it isn’t Magix either, since the woods near Lake Rocalucce are always brimming with magic and these are simply... not.

In fact, the complete lack of magic in the air is enough to kickstart Stella’s worries. There are few realms she hasn’t yet visited, and in every single one of them, she has sensed at least some strong trace of it. But this place feels dead and lifeless, even though a forest is clearly growing before her very eyes. At least that clears out Domino… Stella suppresses a sudden shudder: even this unknown realm is sure to be better than that frozen and forgotten wasteland.

Before her unrest grows even more, Stella stands up, ready to look for answers that will explain the portal’s sudden malfunction. When she notices something moving behind some bushes scattered across the clearing, she quickly transforms into her fairy form, not wanting to take any chances in case a powerful light beam suddenly comes in handy. Maybe she’s being paranoid, and what’s spooking her is actually a sleepy dryad or even worse, a squirrel rummaging the ground for fallen acorns.

Then a bunch of angry ghouls jump out at her, and Stella decides that this is the worst day ever.

She manages to duck and dodge their tiny but sharp claws, taking advantage of her strong wings and her improved reflexes. As she flies out of their way, she notices that there are more of them than she thought at first and that they’ve surrounded her without giving her any time to react. It isn’t like she knows much about monsters in general, but it’s common knowledge that ghouls are the stupidest creatures of the whole magical dimension. Not only are they dumb but they’re also hideous; Stella’s sure that her eyes are itchy just from looking at them. Still, it’s rare for them to attack a fairy without any reason for it, even more so in a group of such a large size. It’s unsettling, to say the least.

“Solaria!” she yells, loud enough for her voice to reach the whole clearing, while at the same time throwing her precious ring up in the air. It spins and spins until it turns into a long, thin scepter, which Stella grabs with both hands. There’s no way she’s going down without putting up one hell of a fight, that’s for sure.

At that precise moment an unpleasant, ominous aura overwhelms Stella. She knows what it is as soon as she senses it: dark magic, eerie and thick and somber. It leaves behind a trace of purple powder, which wafts out of the trees around the clearing until making its way to her. A pair of squinted, gleaming eyes follow her carefully from the shadows, and Stella regrets complaining about the lack of magic in this forest. She’d take no magic at all over the dark arts any day.

A ghoul takes advantage of the fact that her focus is elsewhere and climbs up her legs. Stella’s fingers close around the creature, blowing it to smithereens with the growing heat of her palm. A few others are dumb enough to try the same tactic, so she swings her trusted scepter in their direction and channels the sunlight bathing the woods.

“Rising Sun!” Stella shouts, smiling.

She loves naming her spells, a habit that can be traced back to her childhood. As her father is fond of saying, she’s always had a flair for the dramatic. Her attack, a bunch of powerful sunrays, is only enough to dispatch half of the ghouls, but the remaining ones begin to back away, at last fearful of the Fairy of the Sun, the Moon and the Stars and her powers. The mysterious figure, still hidden, barks an unintelligible order that the ghouls seem reluctant to follow, leading Stella to believe that whatever this creature may be, it must be the one that has orchestrated this surprise attack.

“Who are you?” she shouts, somehow managing to sound defiant despite the fear creeping its way into her body. “And what do you want?”

The figure steps into the clearing, prompting a sharp intake of breath from Stella. An ogre is now towering over her, his mouth twisted in a smug, toothy smile. He steps towards her and she backs away, painfully aware of how many ghouls are still left, scattered all around to block any possible routes she may use to escape.

“You’ll be coming with us, princess Stella. Together with your scepter, of course.”

Stella grabs said scepter tightly until her knuckles turn white and her fingers start to tremble. As a member of one of the most powerful royal families of the entire magical dimension, she’s always known herself to be a likely target of kidnapping or even assassination attempts. It’s something she’s had to live with all her life, but nothing could’ve fully prepared her for the day someone would actually try to harm her.

“In your wildest dreams, you beast!”

“Now it’s your turn, ghouls,” the ogre bellows. “Grab the fairy and bring me her scepter!”

The scruffy creatures obey him and make their move, but Stella is ready for them. She swings her scepter around, managing to hit several of them with her light beams. But when a few ghouls sneak up on her, she trips over them and falls on her back. Before she has time to shake them off, they’re all over her, pinning her to the ground and trying to wrestle her scepter away from her. Stella tries to scream, but one of the ghouls clamps its claws over her mouth, silencing her. The ogre waits for another to finally yank the scepter off her hand and bring it to him. Then he walks up to her, smirking as his shadow blocks the sun shining over the forest.

Stella struggles against the ghouls’ grip, with little results. This can’t be happening. She can’t let herself be captured, taken to another realm against her will, or be used as a hostage as part of some nefarious political scheme. If life were anything like the fairytales her mother often read aloud before tucking her into bed, all full of adventures and wonders, someone would surely show up to rescue her. But she’s alone and in the clutches of a sinister ogre whose intentions, albeit still unknown, can’t be good.

“Now you aren’t so brave, are you, little fairy?” said ogre asks, knowing all too well that Stella can’t reply no matter how hard she tries. He keeps taunting her, holding the scepter just out of her reach.

“Get away from her!”

Stella can’t believe it’s actually happening. A knight in shining armor has come to this faraway, dismal place to save her. Would it be too much to ask for a dashing, handsome brunette like Prince Sky of Eraklyon? Or a blonde, since it’s not like she has that many preferences when it comes to good-looking men. She tilts her head to the side, hoping to get a good look at her would-be savior, but what she sees leaves her frozen on the spot.

A teenage girl is standing behind the ogre with her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

Her bright red hair falls in waves until it reaches her thighs, in sharp contrast to her big, azure eyes. Something about her reminds Stella of Nova: maybe it's their similar hair color, even though Nova's is much lighter; or maybe it's just the shade of tender innocence their eyes share. A small rabbit with bluish gray fur hops past her sandals, curious enough to stare at the ghouls but keeping its distance. Stella knows she's often too quick to judge, but nevertheless she can't help but think the universe must have it in for her. Was an actual hero, perhaps a specialist or a paladin, too much to ask? Of course, a witch or another fairy would've also been a great help, but the redheaded girl facing the ogre doesn't seem to have any magical presence at all.

The pieces of the puzzle suddenly come together in Stella’s mind: the lack of magic in the woods, the girl’s ability to surprise not only her but also the ogre… This must be Earth, the only magicless planet there is, as well as the one that remains disconnected from the magical dimension. Which makes her would-be rescuer nothing more than a reckless teenage girl. Stella rolls her eyes: she’s so not impressed. She may very well surrender herself to the ghouls already if only to buy some time for the girl to run away and live to tell the tale since she’s still unable to warn her.

“Seize her!” shouts the ogre, pointing his finger at the girl so as not to leave any doubts as to who he’s referring to, seemingly as aware as Stella herself of the ghouls’ general stupidity.

Of course, most of the creatures are dumb enough to rush at the girl without thinking about Stella. She throws a few of them off her and jumps to her feet, hoping to fly to the girl’s side in time to shield her from their impending attack. But then she grabs something from the ground and waves it around, sending the monsters flying far away from them both. Stella can’t help but look at her, amazed: she wasn’t expecting that.

When a ghoul tries to grab her rabbit, it lets out a panicked squeak.

“Leave Kiko alone!” she yells, landing a kick on the ghoul. “Go away!”

An energy shield pops out of nowhere, protecting both the girl and the rabbit from the monsters.

“What happened?” she wonders out loud, seemingly as surprised as the ogre and Stella herself. “Did I—did I just do that? How…?”

“Watch out!” Stella shouts, flying towards her as the ogre grabs the girl’s arms and holds her up.

The girl yelps, surprised, and a magical flame takes shape around her slender frame. It envelops her whole body, burning the monster’s arm. He drops her and she falls on her knees, panting, at the same time the flame disappears as if it had never been there to begin with. Stella decides to leave her many questions for later and approaches the ogre, holding her scepter with a smug smile.

“Seems like the tables have turned on you,” she says, summoning as much magical power as she can gather from her own body and gesturing the girl to come closer. “Stick close to me and watch my back!”

The redhead nods and stands behind her so that they’re back to back, facing against the monsters that remain in the clearing. The ogre stalks towards them, but he’s too slow. Stella raises her scepter.

“Solar Storm!”

An inferno of sunlight and heat devours all the ghouls but a few, leaving the ogre behind. He winces in pain, but is quick enough to take out a glowing pendant from his dirty purple overalls’ pocket.

“I’ll be back, little fairy. I’ll be back!”

With one last glare at the girls, the ogre disappears, leaving only a cloud of purple smoke behind.

Stella sighs, relieved to see they’re both alive, free and unharmed. She turns around and meets the redheaded girl’s eyes before squealing with delight.

“That was amazing!” she then catches a glimpse of the girl’s leg, exposed by an ugly tear in her flare jeans. “Oh no, don’t tell me they hurt you…”

“I’m fine: one of those nasty things ripped my pants before it left, but it didn’t leave a scratch,” the girl blushes and drops the impromptu weapon she’s been flailing around, which turns out to be nothing more than a large stick. It falls to the ground with a short, sharp thud, startling her pet rabbit enough for it to hide behind her feet. “But enough about me. Are you alright?”

Before Stella can respond, her vision goes hazy and blurry. She knows she’s about to faint, so she tries to hold on to her scepter to remain standing. Her knees buckle and give in, and as she falls, she can only see the panicked look in the girl’s face as she rushes towards her.

Everything fades to black, and Stella curses the universe for turning her into a damsel in distress without even having the decency to ask her first.

* * *

What Stella hears while she regains consciousness is an argument involving several people near her, way too close for comfort.

“Tell me again what happened, because I’m sure I must’ve heard you wrong the first time.”

“Dad, how can you be this stubborn? I already told you that she was being attacked by monsters, and she had wings, and I stepped in to help her but after that big one escaped, she fainted. If you still don’t believe me, it’s on you!”

Stella opens her eyes slowly, only to find her savior standing close to her. She’s facing a blond man that must be her father, looking almost as angry as she was when she faced the monsters to protect her.

“Wings? I don’t see them anywhere, Bloom.”

“But I saw them, Dad! She was flying while fighting those creatures. She must be a fairy, or...”

“A fairy! Yeah, right. This is crazy. I can’t believe this. We should take this girl to the hospital: she may have a concussion, or worse, some serious problem—”

“No!” Stella shouts, rising from the sofa she had been lying on. “Please, don’t do that.”

“Dear, you’re awake,” a middle-aged woman gives Stella a reassuring smile and sits on a chair next to her, with that concerned look she’s only seen in her own mother's face. “We were worried about you. How are you feeling?”

“I—I’m fine, thank you,” Stella replies, looking around somewhat frantically. “Where am I?”

“When you fainted, I brought you home. I didn’t know what else to do...” the redheaded girl looks down to her feet, nervous. “You do remember what happened in the park, don’t you?”

“I wish I could forget,” Stella sighs, but her answer seems to encourage the other girl.

“See! I’m not crazy, it did happen,” she stops herself and smiles, and Stella can’t help but do the same; her enthusiasm is too contagious. “Sorry, I didn’t even introduce myself! I’m Bloom, and these are my parents, Mike and Vanessa.”

“I’m Stella. Thanks for saving me,” Stella says, her rich brown eyes lost in Bloom’s azure ones. “If you hadn’t intervened, I don’t know what would have happened. What you did was reckless... reckless, but also brave! I can’t thank you enough, Bloom.”

She blushes and mumbles something, while her mother takes Stella’s hand between her own.

“I’m sure you must’ve been scared, Stella. Is there anyone you want us to contact: your parents, maybe…?”

Stella cannot help but give her a sad smile in turn. Wherever her parents are right now, she’s sure that she’s the furthest thing away from their thoughts. For all they know, she’s already in Magix, relaxing in the hotel room that has been booked for her in the city center. Her father is surely still in the middle of his all-too-important meetings with government officials, while as of late, her mother seems to prefer the company of the rest of her family to that of her own daughter. She knows it’d be very rude to check her comm in front of such kind, selfless people, so she decides to wait for later to check whether she has a single message from any of her parents.

“They’re a bit difficult to get a hold of… You see, they’re the king and the queen of Solaria, my homeworld. Have you heard of it? It’s one of the mightiest kingdoms in the magical dimension, and its three suns are the ones that give sunlight to all the other realms! I was on my way to Alfea Academy, the best school for fairies there is, but then those monsters made me land here and attacked me. They knew I was a princess, too…”

Vanessa looks at her, still visibly worried, while Bloom’s face has lighted up like a small child’s. Next to her, Mike is obviously dismissing every single word coming out of her mouth, his head turning an interesting shade of red that warns Stella of his impending outburst.

“That’s it. I’m done. Magic, fairies, monsters… This is ridiculous. It’s obvious that this girl’s off her rocker. I’m going to call the police right now.”

“No! You can’t do that!” Stella shouts, but he walks towards a nearby side table and grabs a bulky, archaic instrument she assumes is a human communication device. Before Mike can do anything with it, she mutters a quick spell that turns it into a large cauliflower, just like the ones her mother grows in the garden of her villa. Stella doesn’t even know why she’s decided to transform it into that, but when Bloom descends into a fit of giggles and Vanessa tries to hide an amused smile, she realizes she doesn’t regret it.

“Do you believe me now, sir?” Stella lets herself smile, satisfied. “I’m a fairy princess, and your daughter’s a fairy as well. She saved me from my attackers by conjuring an energy shield.”

“I don’t even know how I did that!” Bloom exclaims, giddy just thinking about it again. “I’m… I’m a fairy? Are you serious?”

“Of course! A fairy doesn’t think twice about what she wants to do, she simply acts. But you’ve just discovered your magic, you’ve yet to learn how to control it. You should come to Alfea with me. It’s a magical school, perfect for you to grow as a fairy and unlock your true potential.”

Mike becomes agitated when he hears Stella’s invitation, and he begins to mumble a series of incoherent words that she’s glad she can’t understand. Vanessa walks up to him and holds him close, trying to soothe him.

“Bloom, why don’t you show Stella to your room? Maybe she’d like to stay here for the night, to rest for a bit; you’ve both gone through quite the ordeal. I’d stay here with Dad: I think he needs more time to wrap his head around—around all of this.”

Her daughter nods and, taking Stella’s hand in hers, guides her up the stairs towards her bedroom. After a thorough look around it, she can’t help but wonder: it’s a cute and comfortable space that seems to reflect its owner’s personality as if it were a mirror. There are pastel clothes scattered around, but also drawings of all colors and shapes hanging from the walls. Most of them share a common theme, though: fairies, nymphs, mermaids, and other magical creatures.

“I’ve loved fairies ever since I was little,” Bloom explains, having noticed Stella’s interest in her artwork. “I still can’t believe I’m one myself. I’ve always known I was adopted, but still…”

“Magical beings disappeared from Earth a long time ago,” Stella sits on Bloom’s bed next to her pet bunny, Kiko, who is asleep on one of the pillows. “You must’ve been born somewhere in the magical dimension, just like me. It’s still too early to find out more since your powers haven’t fully developed. They only manifested because you found yourself in a dangerous situation. Your magic reacted out of instinct, without you having any control over it.”

“So…” Bloom stands in front of her, her eyes brightening as she goes on to ask. “If I go to Alfea with you, will they teach me how to be a fairy?”

“You don’t learn how to be one, Bloom,” Stella laughs. “You’ve been born a fairy. All you have to do is believe it yourself.”

“That’s easier said than done…”

Suddenly, Stella has an idea. She walks up to Bloom’s desk, where a piece of paper shows the beginnings of a sketch. She places a hand over it and thinks of Alfea: its rose-tinted buildings, the main plaza where all students gather, the woods around the campus… As she recalls as many details as she can, a picture begins to form on the paper, although its lines and shades move as if they were slowly coming to life.

“It’s an easy memory spell,” Stella says, knowing that Bloom’s peeking over her shoulder without even having to look. “It draws as many details as possible from my own experiences to share them with others. That way I can show you the academy without having to teleport us there.”

Bloom nods, eager to know more. But instead of going on with the explanation, Stella grabs her wrist and pulls her into the picture before she has time to realize what’s going on. Together, they land on the main gate, a pink arch that marks the beginning of the academy’s grounds. A few girls walk by them, momentarily fading when they touch the girls’ bodies. Stella recognizes students she met last year, but it’s not like she needed to do so to realize they’re only still images taken from her memories: their clothes are so last season. She’s glad Bloom won’t be able to see her past self among them: why were ever animal print boots in?

“This is amazing,” said girl whispers, taking in every detail of the castle surrounding them. “I never imagined a school for fairies would look like this.”

“It’s no wonder,” Stella chuckles. “After all, judging from your books and pictures, you humans seem to have a pretty outdated idea of the magical world. Believe me, if it ever looked like that, it was eons ago.”

“I did read many times that fairies were supposed to be… tiny? Smaller than us?” Bloom looks embarrassed. “You know, the size of your thumb. Not like this, even though I am taller than you.”

“Hey!” Stella crosses her arms, touchy as always when it comes to her modest height. “I’m sure the only reason you’re taller than me is that you’re older. Mind you, I can still go through a growth spurt: I’m only seventeen.”

“I'll turn sixteen this winter,” Bloom grins. “Which makes you a year older than me. Oh, wouldn’t that mean we’d be apart?”

Stella shakes her head. “Relax, B. We’d be together for sure.”

“B?” Bloom’s red curls fall over her face when she tilts her head to the side, seemingly curious.

“Sorry, it’s just out of habit. A friend of mine who was supposed to attend Alfea with me is called Varanda. I’ve always called her V, so it must have slipped.”

“But I like it,” she smiles playfully. “No one’s ever called me by any nickname before. I think I’ll call you Stell, then.”

“Stell?” Stella laughs and Bloom joins her. “Anyway, don’t worry about that. We’d be placed in the same year, believe me. We could even end up in the same dorm.”

“I had no idea it was a boarding school,” Bloom bites her lip, deep in thought as they walk further into the school’s grounds. “I—I don’t know if I should leave my parents behind. Besides, I’m supposed to go back to high school in Gardenia as soon as summer ends.”

“Think about it,” Stella replies matter-of-factly. “The school year starts tomorrow, and I have to be there with or without you, Bloom. I think you can become a great fairy, if only you give yourself a chance.”

Before the redhead can say anything, everything around them shakes. A loud thump echoes all over the illusion Stella has created, disfiguring it with both girls still trapped inside. She quickly steps on her tiptoes and lifts herself upwards to get out of the picture. Bloom does the same and a moment later, they’re back in her bedroom.

“What was that?” Bloom turns to her, frantic. “What could’ve made that sound? What’s going on, Stella?”

She bites her nail, her face ashen. A familiar feeling overwhelms her: just like the forest where they first met, Bloom’s parents’ house now reeks of dark magic. Something is happening downstairs, and it can only be one thing.

“There are strong traces of magic downstairs. Don’t you feel it too?” Bloom nods, crestfallen, and Stella goes on. “I think the monsters have come back for us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's another chapter, in which Stella and Bloom meet for the very first time. This one's obviously my version of the very first episode of the series, with some slight changes. It was very fun to write since we only see the fight against Knut from Bloom's perspective, and it was refreshing to wonder how things might have gone down for Stella! I hope you enjoy reading it, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts about it!
> 
> Next chapter's summary:
> 
> _Stella only has to call for Red Fountain’s best team of rookie specialists to come to the rescue. Bloom finds them as impressive as the magical dimension itself, but what takes her breath away is Alfea Academy for Fairies, whose staff isn’t exactly thrilled to have Stella back. She introduces her savior as Varanda of Calixto, because pretending to be a princess shouldn’t be that hard... right?_


	3. The three schools of Magix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella only has to call for Red Fountain’s best team of rookie specialists to come to the rescue. Bloom finds them as impressive as the magical dimension itself, but what takes her breath away is Alfea Academy for Fairies, whose staff isn’t exactly thrilled to have Stella back. She introduces her savior as Varanda of Calixto, because pretending to be a princess shouldn’t be that hard... right?

Bloom rushes down the stairs, with Stella close behind her. What they find when they reach the living room is an image that seems taken right out of a nightmare: not only is the ogre from before back, but he's not alone. The few surviving ghouls are the least of Stella's worries, because a hunting troll the size of a mountain boulder has crushed the house's back door in his efforts to get inside. In his hand is a torn piece of Bloom's trousers, which is enough for Stella to understand how they've managed to find them this fast. Someone is going through a lot of trouble to get their hands on them both. 

“There they are!” the ogre says as soon as he spots them. 

“I knew it,” Stella sighs, not surprised at all. “You don’t know when to give up, do you?” 

He smiles, pleased with himself. “Of course not. You’re going to regret what you did before, little fairy, you and that Earth girl over there.” 

Stella can’t even be bothered to waste her breath on a witty comeback. Instead, she changes into her fairy form before the troll can get any closer to Bloom’s parents, who’re slowly backing into a corner of their living room. Next to her, Bloom looks amazed, raising her hand tentatively to touch the pair of fluttering turquoise wings that have sprouted from her back. Oddly enough, Stella lets her do so, unaware of the exact reason why her budding curiosity amuses her so much. Taking off her ring, she turns it into her scepter, ready for battle. 

“Bloom,” she whispers so that only she can hear her. “I’ll distract them. You get your parents out of here; use that window over there or the front door, if you prefer. I’ll keep them busy.” 

She nods and Stella smiles, encouraging her to get moving. In the meanwhile, she powers up the ceiling lights hanging over the monsters’ heads to blind them. Just as she expected, Bloom takes advantage of it to rush past them and reach Mike and Vanessa. Stella forces herself to look away to avoid drawing her enemies’ attention to the family. She flies towards the disorientated troll and kicks him right in the chin, sending him crashing into a nearby bookcase. It shatters into a mess made of wooden pieces and glass shards, and Stella winces: that sounded expensive. 

“You useless oaf!” the ogre yells to the troll, seething. “How can you let a dumb blonde land a hit on you?” 

“What did you just call me?” Stella shrieks, enraged. “I'll mop the floor with you, you filthy beast!” 

As she’s about to rush blindly at him, Bloom appears by her side, almost out of breath. With a quick look, she lets Stella know her parents are safe and out in the street. She takes a moment to think about what to do next, and then she decides it’s time to ask for some outside help. Comm in hand, she opens her instant messages inbox and looks for the group chat she has with the boys. She barely has time to begin recording a voice note before the ghouls target both her and Bloom. 

“Guys, I’m on Earth right now. It’s kind of a long story, and I don’t have time to get into the details... Go away, creeps!” she crushes one of them under her high-heeled boots, while Bloom makes a run for the kitchen and comes back armed with a large frying pan. “Anyway, I’d be forever grateful if you came here to help: these monsters have us in a tight spot right now. Nice weapon, B!” 

Bloom smiles mischievously, having begun to smash their tiny enemies with the pan. She then rushes through the front door, followed by the ghouls. Before Stella has time to check whether her voice note has been sent, the troll stands up and lands his gaze on her. She flies out of the way just in time to avoid his enormous hand, which could’ve done some serious damage. Unsure of whether Bloom’s frying pan will be enough for her to hold against the ghouls, Stella decides to risk it and go outside, despite knowing that both the troll and the ogre are right behind her. 

Right after she leaves the hall behind and flies out of the house, a portal takes shape in front of her. As Stella stops, startled, the troll catches up to her and tries to grab her leg. Bloom lunges for her, pushing her out of the beast’s path, and they crash roughly on the pavement. Stella looks up, sure that the troll’s about to attack them both, but she’s surprised to see that someone has wrapped the better length of a whip around its arm, holding it in place. 

“Help has arrived, ladies,” Riven smirks, holding the end of the whip as if it were a dog’s leash. 

Barely seconds after he finishes talking, the ogre punches him from behind, loosening his grip on the weapon and sending him flying towards the girls. Riven lands on top of them and Stella sighs: are these the heroes she was waiting for when she was first attacked? So far, Bloom has proved herself to be a much better help. As if she’d heard her, the redheaded girl brushes the dust off her jeans and stands up, throwing Riven a concerned look. 

“Well, that looked like it hurt,” she says, earning a wholehearted laugh from Stella. 

“You stay back, girls,” he replies, decidedly not amused. “We’ll take care of this.” 

By we, Stella realizes he’s referring to the Specialists: the whole team is there, surrounding the monsters with their weapons drawn. Brandon is holding his own against the ogre with the help of his shield, while Timmy is taking care of the ghouls with his gun as if he were playing one of his favorite shooting games. Sky walks up to Stella and holds his hand out to her, helping her stand back up. 

“We got here as soon as we could,” he states, taking his sword out to face the troll. 

But instead of trying to slay him, the prince buries it in the middle of the street, opening a rift in the ground that swallows the beast in a heartbeat. Stella can’t help but walk up to it and look down, but the troll seems to be out for the count. She turns around to look at the ogre, her satisfaction written all over her face. 

“Ugh, you haven’t seen the last of me!” 

Before any of them can do anything to stop him, he uses his pendant once again to retreat. Stella tries to ignore the foul smell of dark magic and holds her hand out to Bloom, who high-fives her as if they’d done it countless times before. Stella then remembers they’re not alone and she beckons the boys to come closer, smiling. 

“Bloom, let me introduce you to the Specialists. You already know Riven, the one with the spiky hair who not-so-gently landed on top of us earlier. I know he looks like a street punk, but believe me, he’s more bark than bite.” 

Riven scowls at her, ready to clap back. Next to her, Bloom stifles a soft chuckle and Stella seizes the chance to carry on before he can even open his mouth. 

“Next to him is Prince Sky, heir to the throne of Eraklyon. Be careful around him: he’s known for being a serial flirt.” 

“Stella, you honor me,” he laughs and looks straight at her with a playful smirk, but Stella goes on, denying him the pleasure of smiling back stupidly like a lovestruck fool. 

“The one with the glasses is Timmy. It may not seem like it since he doesn’t have the best eyesight in the group, but he’s the best marksman.” 

Timmy doesn’t seem to know how to deal with such an introduction, because all he does is blush and wave awkwardly at Bloom as if he hadn’t seen her until this very moment. Despite how tempting it is to tease him a bit more, Stella moves on to the last boy left, but not before promising herself to set Timmy up on a date as soon as she foresees a potential match among the students of Alfea. He's sweet enough to fall prey to one of those horrible Cloudtower witches, and there’s no way Stella will allow that to happen. 

“And finally we have Brandon, the only person I’ve met this far whose hair is as silky and shiny as my own. Mind you, I still prefer mine long. That shoulder-length look would make my face look too plump.” 

Sky breaks down in laughter, while Brandon gently tucks a strand of said blond mane behind his ear, suddenly self-conscious. But Stella notices how his light blue eyes never leave Bloom’s. The prince subtly jabs him to get him to stop being so obvious, but it’s not like it matters much since the redheaded girl seems completely oblivious to their sudden exchange. Stella rolls her eyes: how can some people be this clueless, she’ll never know. 

“I’m Sky’s squire,” Brandon says. “We grew up together in Eraklyon.” 

“Riven and I also knew each other from before,” Timmy adds. “We’re both from Magix.” 

“Magix?” Bloom repeats, amazed. “Is that also in the magical dimension?” 

“That’s right: it’s both a city and a realm that functions as the capital of the entire dimension. It’s where Alfea Academy is,” Stella notices the boys’ intrigued expressions and wraps her arm around Bloom’s shoulders. “Everyone, here’s Bloom, my new friend. She may be from Earth, but earlier she saved me from those same monsters all by herself.” 

“Impressive…” Brandon looks at her, more thoughtful this time around. “I can’t believe you did that.” 

“Bloom’s a fairy just like I am,” Stella states, knowing she’s still not sure that she’s a magical being. “I keep trying to convince her to join me at Alfea tomorrow, but she still has her doubts.” 

“Then perhaps we have time to convince her to join us at Red Fountain,” Sky adds playfully. “Since she’s that good at heroics.” 

“Heroics? Aren’t you guys fairies too?” 

Brandon has the decency to remain serious, but Sky simply laughs to his heart’s content. Timmy seems to be looking for a place to hide until the awkwardness of the moment ends, while Riven looks offended to even be called something as girly as a fairy. She wrinkles her nose and debates whether to poke fun at him once more before she corrects Bloom’s misunderstanding. Luckily enough, Vanessa chooses that very moment to walk out of a nearby alley with Mike right behind her. 

“Is it safe to come out now?” she asks, looking worried. “We did as you said and hid nearby, Bloom. We didn’t know if you girls were done with those—those things yet.” 

“It’s alright, Mom. They’re gone now: Stella and the boys fought them off.” 

“Boys? Oh, don’t tell me you’re also from that magical place and whatnot,” Mike raises his hands in the air as soon as he sees the Specialists, his voice dripping with skepticism. “How did you get here in the first place? Don’t tell me you used flying broomsticks.” 

“Dad!” Bloom crosses her arms, upset. “They saved not only me but you and Mom too. You should be thanking them instead of making fun of them!” 

The boys somehow manage to remain serious, even though Stella’s finding the entire situation hilarious. She walks up to them and the portal they must’ve come through, wondering how they’ve managed to open it to begin with. Sky seems to notice her confusion because he smiles and says: 

“We got your message when we were switching shifts with the next team. As soon as Codatorta heard you say you were on Earth, he used his portal gun to help us get here in time.” 

“I always thought he hated me!” Stella exclaims, bewildered. “I can’t believe he did that.” 

“Me neither,” Riven sneers, at the same time he takes out an electrified collar. “Can you lift our hairy friend? I’m sure this will suit him just fine.” 

Stella mumbles a quick levitation charm. When the troll’s limp body emerges from the rift, Riven locks the collar around his neck, while Timmy places a set of handcuffs around his large wrists. The portal flickers for a second, one last alert before it closes for good. Brandon joins Timmy and Riven to help them push the troll through it, but Sky stays behind by Stella’s side. 

“Tomorrow’s also your first day back at Alfea, am I right?” Stella nods and he goes on. “Don’t worry about getting there. Be here early in the morning with your friend, if she decides to come with.” 

“Why?” Stella asks, befuddled. “I’ll need a longer explanation, Sky!” 

But before he can say anything more, the portal begins to shrink. With one last smile, the prince disappears through it, leaving Stella with too many unanswered questions. 

“Did you get to the park using one of those?” Bloom asks, her eyes still glued to where the portal had been only moments before. “It was incredible! Who were they? You said something about heroics…” 

“They’re from Red Fountain, a school that's also in Magix, not too far from Alfea,” Stella explains. “Its students are training to become Specialists, that is, professional heroes.” 

“Girls,” Vanesa approaches them both with a smile. “I'm sure we've all gone through enough today, so why don't we head inside? That way you can rest for a few hours, at least until the sun rises.” 

Stella can only agree. Other humans may have noticed the ruckus, and she already has had to tell three of them what they wanted to know about the magical dimension: she's in no rush to do the same with even more people, so she follows Bloom and her mother into their house. Mike, who's right behind her, tries to close the front door, but it falls off its hinges with a sad thud. He seems about to react as badly as before, but then he takes a deep breath and stands awkwardly in front of the broken piece of wood. Stella wonders if it’s because he's trying hard to get used to all the chaos springing in his general vicinity as of late. 

“Is everything alright?” Stella asks. “If it’s about your door, there’s no need to worry. I can restore your whole house to its previous state in no time.” 

“That’d be helpful, I guess,” he says after a weird pause as if trying to look for the right words. “Thank you, Stella. Not only for that but also for—for what you and those friends of yours did for us. I’m a firefighter. If there’s something I respect, it’s putting your life at risk for the sake of others without any hope of gaining anything in turn. I saw you protect my daughter, and us too, even though you were under no obligation to do so.” 

“She’s a very special girl, sir,” Stella smiles and looks back to the end of the hallway, where Bloom and her mother seem to be talking about Alfea and whether she’ll enroll or not. “But I’m a fairy and they’re heroes: it’s our duty to help those in danger. There’s no need to thank us for it.” 

“But I have to,” he insists, and Stella realizes she’s started warming up to Bloom’s overprotective but caring father. “Maybe I don’t want her to leave, but if it’s what she wants and needs… Well, who am I to stop her? Just—just promise me you’ll stay by her side. My daughter is the most precious thing to me. I don’t want anything bad to happen to her: neither here in Gardenia nor in this magical dimension of yours.” 

Stella nods, fully understanding where he’s coming from. She can’t help but wonder whether Vanessa’s responsible for his sudden change of heart since they were presumably discussing this same topic back when Bloom led her upstairs to her bedroom. Mike stays silent, so Stella assumes there’s nothing else he wants to say to her and walks past him. 

“If Bloom decides to come to Alfea with me, I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to her. I promise.” 

Without waiting for an answer, Stella raises her wings and flies to the living room, which communicates with the kitchen, both rooms being the ones more affected by the monsters’ irruption. Under Bloom and her mother’s expectant gazes, she swings her scepter and whispers a series of cleanup spells that do the job nicely, leaving the house spotless and in an even better state than it was before. Satisfied, Stella undoes her transformation and offers her audience a slightly tired smile. 

“It’s done,” she slips her ring back on her finger. 

“You look exhausted, Stella,” Vanessa walks up to her, worried. “Why don’t you tuck in for the night? There’s an extra bed in Bloom’s room if you don’t mind sleeping with someone else.” 

“Thank you so much,” she smiles, grateful. “Of course it’s fine. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll do exactly that. Today has been truly exhausting. Bloom, I don’t know what Sky meant when he told me to wake up early tomorrow, but I guess I’ll have to find out. Will you be joining me?” 

Bloom understands the true meaning of her question because she bites her lower lip and makes a point of trying to avoid her mother’s confused gaze. 

“Mom, Dad,” she begins. “You’ve always told me to think carefully before taking any action. I’ve done that and I’ve come to a decision: I’m going to Alfea Academy with Stella. I want to become a fairy, gain control over my powers, and maybe even learn more about my past and my biological parents. Please, let me make my own choice.” 

“You’re only sixteen, dear, but you’ve grown so much…” Vanessa ruffles her red hair softly. “I trust you and I trust your ability to make your own decisions. As you said, it’s your call. We always knew you were special, even though we didn’t know you were magical, but it’s not our place to stop you from doing what your heart is telling you to.” 

When Mike nods, sharing one last look with his wife, Bloom’s eyes flood with tears. Her parents hug her tightly and Stella chooses that moment to withdraw and leave them some space. She goes back to Bloom’s room and finds Kiko asleep among some pillows. She pets the small bunny’s soft and fluffy fur while pondering over Sky’s cryptic words. She can only hope that he has thought of some way to get both her and Bloom to Magix since there are no portals to and from Earth. A teleportation spell is Stella’s last resort since it’d leave her out of magical energy, perhaps even unconscious. 

Stella loses track of time, only coming out of her daze when Bloom shows up in the room. She’s smiling, happy after having gotten her parents to support her decision to embrace her magical powers. Before saying anything, she walks up to her messy wardrobe and takes out a pair of pink pajamas. Its cartoon bunnies alone make it cuter than anything Stella owns, and she can’t help but smile at the sight of them. 

“You’ll need something comfy to sleep with tonight,” Bloom says sheepishly. “Don’t look at me like that: it’s already hard enough to let anyone else besides my parents see these. Now let’s go to bed: I’m exhausted.” 

“We’ve both had two fights too many for a single day,” Stella sighs. 

She lets herself fall onto the extra bed next to Bloom’s and changes into the bunny-themed clothes with only a mere snap of her fingers. As Bloom slides into her own bed, she laughs, impressed. 

“You have to teach me how to do that.” 

Before Stella can muster enough energy to reply, sleep takes a hold of her and refuses to let go. 

* * *

Stella rises as the sun itself does, its rays managing to slip through the cracks of the metal blinds to light up the room. She’s surprised to find Bloom awake in her bed. Her eyes seem to be sparkling with childish excitement, even though she’s gently rocking a sleepy Kiko between her arms. Stella finds it difficult to believe how many hours the bunny must’ve slept without waking up even once. 

“You woke up early,” she observes, stifling a yawn. “Ready to visit Magix for the very first time?” 

“That’s right!” Bloom nods, overjoyed. “My parents have helped me pack everything and get ready to go. Meanwhile, we talked more in-depth about all that’s happened. They’re trying hard to be supportive. I—I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.” 

“I’m happy to hear that,” Stella says with a sincere smile. “Anyways, we should get downstairs soon. The guys said to be there early this morning, and I’m kind of hoping they’ll show up with some means to take us to Alfea.” 

“Or else…?” Bloom asks, her voice unsure of what Stella’s words truly mean. 

“There’s no need to worry. I can always teleport us to the main campus in no time. It’s just that it’s very draining and after, you’d have to help me walk around since I’d barely be able to lift a finger.” 

“Ah, I see,” the redheaded girl seems relieved to hear that she still has a card up her sleeve. “They may come through a portal like the one they used yesterday.” 

Stella’s face twists with distaste: she’s not exactly eager to go through one of those ever again, thanks to the monsters’ earlier ambush. Bloom doesn’t seem to notice since her eyes remain focused on Kiko. The silence between them shatters when Stella’s stomach announces its emptiness with a loud growl, causing Bloom to break into a fit of giggles despite her murderous glare. 

“Let’s go to the kitchen,” she takes Stella’s hand between hers and guides her out of the room. “When I left, Mom was making pancakes and Dad was getting a pot of coffee ready. I hope everything’s still hot!” 

“Wait, B,” Stella stops her. “I can’t go down dressed like this! It’ll just take me a moment.” 

Before Bloom can reply, her spell changes her back into her long orange dress. She then follows her down the stairs, noticing the sweet aroma coming from the kitchen. Sure enough, Vanessa is focused on cooking whatever is producing that heavenly smell, while Mike is pouring hot beverages for all four of them. They turn around and wave at the girls, having heard them walk towards the kitchen. Stella can’t help but notice how sleepy they look, and she asks herself whether it’s because they’re not fond of mornings or because of last night’s mess. 

“Good morning, girls,” Vanessa greets them with a smile and two identical plates full of homemade food. “I hope you slept well and got some rest. Today’s going to be a busy day, after all.” 

“Here’s some coffee,” Mike hands them steaming cups of a black substance Stella’s never seen before in her life. “I didn’t know how you take it, Stella, so feel free to add in milk and sugar; there’s plenty of both right here.” 

Stella nods awkwardly, reluctant to take a sip of the hot liquid. She draws a few circles with the spoon that’s in the cup before turning her attention back to Vanessa’s creation, the one Bloom referred to as ‘pancakes’. She takes a bit and savors it, relishing its softness and sweetness. Bloom soon notices her delight and smiles, as if her reaction had proven her point. 

“Pancakes are one of the best foods in the universe,” she states, and Stella can’t help but agree. 

Time seems to fly as they finish their meal. For once, Stella finds breakfast enjoyable, seeing as she’s used to eating alone in her room every morning, sometimes without even Nova sitting by her side. When they finish, Mike and Vanessa stay behind to clean up. Bloom takes her to the living room, where her suitcases are. Seeing that she’s ready to go, Stella offers to carry them out of the house while Bloom says goodbye to her parents. Sure enough, a bit of magic gets them to gently fly towards the main door on their own, Stella watching over them just in case something happens. A while later, Bloom walks up to her with her parents close behind. 

“Don’t forget to keep your phone on, Bloom,” her father says sternly. 

“Please call us as soon as you get there,” her mother draws her into a tight embrace. “We want to hear that you’re safe and sound.” 

“Of course,” she checks her phone’s battery one last time before slipping it into her pocket. “I promise.” 

“The best thing would be for you to call us a few times each day,” Mike says, earning him a glare from Vanessa and an annoyed look from Bloom. “It’s just because—is that a spaceship on our roof?” 

Stella looks up and chuckles. Sure enough, a hovercraft is in the process of landing on the Peters’ house. Even if Stella hadn’t recognized it as part of Red Fountain’s fleet by its bright red paint, the school’s coat of arms on its rear would’ve helped her identify it. The hovercraft deploys a rope ladder and Sky begins his descent with a satisfied grin on his face. 

“Your chariot has arrived, princesses,” he holds his arm out to them, a gesture Stella finds roguish but charming at the same time. 

Stella takes his hand and begins to climb, while at the same time focusing on flying Bloom’s luggage up to the hovercraft. Said girl soon follows, her parents watching closely as they all get inside without a hitch. After one last wave, the gate closes before them as the ship’s motors get ready for the upcoming interdimensional journey. 

“Welcome aboard, girls,” Brandon welcomes them with a warm smile and helps Bloom stand up in the cabin’s shaky metal floor, while Sky does the same with Stella. 

“I hope you enjoy your flight with us,” Timmy adds from his seat, the one she assumes is reserved for the pilot. “Isn’t that what you hear when a commercial flight takes off?” 

“That would’ve been funnier if you hadn’t asked,” Riven laughs loudly. 

“Anyways, welcome to one of the mightiest ships in Red Fountain’s entire fleet,” Sky says, proud of his choice. “Last night, I thought of asking Codatorta to borrow it and take you to Alfea. Right after we locked up the troll in one of our holding cells, I told him about it; he agreed, and here we are.” 

“What Sky isn’t telling you is that this hovercraft had just undergone some repairs, so it was still out of commission,” Brandon adds. “That’s the only reason why we could take one of these.” 

“Was that necessary?” the prince gives him the evil eye while Stella and Bloom chuckle. 

After the girls settle in their respective seats and buckle their belts, Bloom looks though the ship’s see-through glass. Stella assumes the outside view must’ve caught her attention, seeing as it’s her first time traveling through the time-space continuum. 

“You guys know each other from before, right?” her sudden question catches Stella off-guard, and it takes her a few moments to nod in response. 

“Stella, haven’t you told her the whole story?” Sky’s grin turns mischievous. “Bloom, you’re going to love it.” 

Before she can protest, Bloom eggs him on and she sinks into her seat, defeated. 

“It was a few months ago, back when the four of us were still first-year students at Red Fountain, during one of Codatorta’s lessons,” the prince laughs. 

“Who’s Codatorta?” Bloom asks, curious. “I think I heard you mention him last night, too.” 

“He’s one of Red Fountain’s instructors,” Brandon explains. “He’s in charge of the entire department of physical training, the core of our heroics studies.” 

“To be clear, he’s a nasty piece of work.” 

“Riven!” Timmy somehow glares at him while still keeping tabs on the hovercraft’s control panel. 

“Let’s say he’s harsh,” Sky sentences, nipping the fight in its bud. “The thing is, we were in the main arena of the school, right in the middle of combat training. And then Stella showed up out of nowhere, stumbling into the arena we were fighting in as if she were enjoying a stroll through the park.” 

Bloom bursts into laughter and the boys soon join her. Stella lets out an annoyed huff, not happy at all with the way the prince is telling the story. 

“That’s not what happened!” she crosses her arms, offended. “It was all because of a stupid dare. The girls I roomed with last year dared me to sneak into one of the Specialists’ lessons and take a picture to prove it. I thought I could do it confidently and no one would think I didn’t belong there...” 

“Too bad Codatorta caught you in the act,” Brandon shakes his head. “I’d never seen him that angry before. Just remembering his shouting hurts.” 

“Well, he sure sounds... interesting?” Bloom smiles, unsure. “Are all teachers like that?” 

“I guess we have our hands full with Griselda in Alfea,” Stella’s eyes glint mischievously. “You’ll meet her soon enough.” 

“Actually, you’re right,” Timmy exclaims. “We’re ready to touch down, hold on tight!” 

“Already?” Bloom looks at him, stunned, while Stella simply grins. 

“Welcome to the wonders of interdimensional travel, Bloom!” 

Timmy lands the hovercraft flawlessly just outside Alfea’s grounds, careful to avoid inconveniencing any of the many girls heading towards the main gate. Brandon makes a move to grab Bloom’s luggage, eager to help her carry them out of the ship, but Stella has had enough chivalry for a day. She makes the suitcases follow her before he can reach them and heads to the now-open gate. 

“Thanks for the ride, boys!” she turns around and smiles, while Bloom waves them goodbye. 

Together, they go down the ramp and finally step on solid ground. Stella flips her hair, basking in the curious and somewhat jealous stares of her fellow students as she takes Bloom’s hand and leads her to Alfea’s main plaza. 

“Everyone’s looking at us, Stell,” Bloom mumbles. 

“How could they not? Our entrance was insuperable,” she flashes her a megawatt smile. “Now come on, B. Alfea’s waiting for us!”

Just as they arrive at the main entrance, Stella spots a large group of young and unsure girls that can only be the new students. She joins them together with Bloom, but it doesn’t take long for Griselda to single her out in the crowd. 

“Princess Stella of Solaria!” everyone turns around to look at her. “After what happened last year, I didn’t think you’d be, uh, delighting us with your presence.” 

“You know me, Professor Griselda,” Stella smirks. “I just love surprises, especially if they involve me.” 

“I see,” Griselda grimaces as if she’d been forced to swallow something sour. “Anyways, you can join us since you’re on the student list. Who’s your friend?” 

“My name is—” Bloom begins, but Stella interrupts her before she can continue. 

“She’s Princess Varanda of Calixto, my childhood friend! I’m sure she’s on the list too.” 

“Varanda, Varanda...” Griselda mumbles. “There you are. Didn’t you inform us weeks ago that you’d be declining your admission?” 

“She did,” Stella nods, serious. “But I visited Calixto yesterday and managed to convince her! She’ll be staying with us the rest of the year, Professor.” 

“I see,” the teacher nods, her eyes still scanning the list on her hand. “I’ll check out everything with Headmistress Faragonda later. If there’s anything else we need from you, she’ll be the one to call you to her office, Princess Varanda.” 

“Ah, I see,” Bloom says after an awfully long silence. “That’s fine by me.” 

“Now that all of us seem to be here,” Griselda continues, staring at both Stella and Bloom. “Our tour of the premises shall begin. But first of all, welcome to Alfea Academy, girls!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's another chapter, based on the latter part of the first episode! This one was a little tougher, because I wanted the Specialists' first appearance to be more satisfying than in canon, where they quickly head back without much screen time. Anyways, the love square between Stella, Bloom, Sky and Brandon is starting to take shape! I hope you enjoyed their first meeting and their interactions, they were hilarious but a bit more difficult to write than I expected. 
> 
> Next chapter's summary:
> 
> _Stella quickly takes a liking to her new roommates, even though she’s still glad to have a bedroom all for herself. When Bloom (ahem, Varanda) gets excited at the prospect of visiting Magix, the girls head to the city to have dinner together. Of course, they aren’t expecting Cloudtower’s most powerful trio of senior witches to rain on their parade._


	4. An evening downtown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella has taken a liking to her new roommates, even though she’s still glad to have a bedroom all for herself. When Bloom (ahem, Varanda) gets excited at the prospect of visiting the city, the girls head to Magix to have dinner together. Of course, they aren't expecting Cloudtower's most powerful trio of senior witches to rain on their parade.

Stella knows Alfea well enough to pass up on Griselda’s tour but Bloom doesn’t, and she has no intention of leaving her by herself. Together with the other newcomers, they walk through the school’s wide and ancient halls, which have seen countless fairies come and go throughout its many centuries of history. When they reach the castle’s main staircase, the head of discipline comes to a sudden halt.

“Ladies, this academy will be your home for the next three years, after which you’ll graduate and become full-fledged fairies. Some of you may even go on to be guardians of your home realms if you prove yourselves worthy of that honor. In any case, being a fairy isn’t like being a witch, a wizard, or a hero: you need not only develop your powers but also acquire the character and confidence required. For that, it is imperative that you follow the rules of this institution, as well as the recommendations given by us teachers during your stay here. Your magic is not a toy you can play with for your personal amusement,” her thin eyes focus on Stella, who realizes what’s about to come next. “Princess Stella, I hope you agree. After all, thanks to you, the potions lab will be out of commission for the better part of the school year.”

As Griselda intended, Stella becomes the center of attention yet again, for all the wrong reasons. Bloom seems to grow more and more nervous by the minute, but she still stays by her side. The other first-year students look at Stella with mixed expressions: most of them are curious, some appear amused and others seem horrified by the sole mention of her past transgression.

“Did you really do that?” Bloom whispers to her ear.

“It was an accident,” Stella counters. “But it’s not like it matters that much. My father paid for all the damages, after all.”

Bloom clearly doesn’t find that fact very reassuring, but she lets it slide. It isn’t long before the first-years' attention is drawn to a group of teachers heading down the staircase. Leading them is Headmistress Faragonda, whom Griselda welcomes with a small bob of her head.

“Hello, girls,” she gives them a warm smile. “I hope Miss Griselda hasn’t scared you too much.”

There are some awkward laughs, but some of the tension seems to have left the hall.

“Welcome to Alfea Academy, the best school for fairies in Magix. Let’s not say that’s because it’s the only one,” she lets out a small laugh. “I’m Faragonda, its headmistress. As I assume most of you already know, ours is one of the best academic institutions in the magical dimension, together with our partner schools: Red Fountain Institute for Specialists and Cloudtower School for Witches. Together with the staff and our older students, we’ll work to make your first year with us an unforgettable experience.”

“Now comes the best part,” Stella says to Bloom, smirking.

“We understand that you are young teenage girls,” Faragonda continues. “But I still have to tell you this: don’t fraternize too much with the boys of Red Fountain...”

“...and steer clear of the Cloudtower witches,” Stella finishes, while Bloom has blushed slightly at the sole mention of the Specialists.

“...and steer clear of the witches of Cloudtower,” the headmistress sentences with a wary look in her eyes. “This lecture has gone on for far too long, as always, so you’re now free to explore the castle to your heart’s content. Just keep in mind that some degree of carefulness is needed: this school is old enough to still hold secrets of its own, some of which might even be dangerous.”

Their fellow students seem reluctant to leave the teachers behind to begin their exploration, but Stella grabs Bloom’s hand and leads her down the hallway. However, her friend is still mulling over the headmistress’s final warning, because she suddenly stops in her tracks and gives her a fearful look.

“What was that?” she asks. “Is the castle dangerous? Are there monsters here, like the ones that attacked us back in Gardenia? I still can’t control my powers, and I don’t even know what they are—”

“Don’t worry, it’s not like that,” Stella smiles and rests her hand on her shoulder. “If we stick to our rooms, the classrooms, and the common areas, we’ll be fine. It’s more like a warning so that we won’t sneak into those parts of the castle that are off-limits, at least to students like us.”

“But what about that other thing? You know, the ‘stay away from the witches’ part.”

“It’s just like Griselda said,” Stella says matter-of-factly. “Magix is known not only for being the capital of the magical dimension but also for having the three greatest schools of magic right next to the city! Cloudtower is the one for witches.”

“So, from the headmistress’s earlier words, I guess its students are—”

“Mean? Wicked? Ugly? Tasteless? Depressing?” Stella goes on and on. “All of the above, girl.”

“I was about to suggest ‘difficult’, but I guess you’ve made your own list,” Bloom lets out a small, guilty chuckle, only to get riled up again moments later. “And why did you not warn me? I didn’t know you’d pass me off as another student!”

“But there was no chance of you being in the list of admitted students,” Stella argues. “I only took advantage of the fact that my friend Varanda decided to attend another school instead. It’s not like anyone will find out.”

“Then I just have to pretend I’m this Princess Varanda for an entire year,” Bloom sighs again, downcast. “Great.”

“Cheer up! It's not like being a princess is that hard. After all, you can always imitate me if you’re not sure of how to behave. Now come on, I want to show you around!”

Sure that the main staircase will soon be crowded by all the clueless first-years, Stella takes Bloom to the castle's next floor through a different one that not many people know or use. They end up in the hallway where most of the classrooms are located, just like she remembered.

“Here is where almost all lessons take place,” Stella strides without stopping in front of any of the closed doors. “We’d better hurry along: after all, by the end of this week, we'll all be sick of these classrooms already. Let's go to the dorms. I want to see if we've been placed together!”

They head to the next floor up, where the students’ rooms are located. On a hunch, Stella walks up to the one assigned to her last year. When she stops in front of its wide green door, which looks the same as the other ones down the hall, a card hanging from the wall next to it catches her and Bloom’s attention.

“Wings Dormitory,” she reads out loud. “Princess Stella of Solaria, Princess Varanda of Calixto.”

“Great, we’re together!” Stella smiles. “Go on: I’m sure there must be other girls with us, right?”

“There are three more names,” Bloom replies, getting closer to read the text more easily. “Flora of Linphea, Musa of Melody, and Tecna of Zenith.”

“So there’ll be five of us. It’s not a bad number.”

“I hope we’ll all get along,” Bloom says dreamily, “I never thought I’d one day be living with other girls my age. I can only imagine how fun it’s going to be!”

Impatient as always, Stella opens the door, eager to see the room she’ll be living in for the rest of the school year. To the right is the same room she occupied last year, and a card identical to the one placed outside confirms her suspicions that it’ll be hers this year too.

“Yes, I knew it,” she exclaims, “I have my own bedroom again! It’s the same I got last year.”

“Lucky you,” Bloom squints at the door to their left, reading the card next to it. “Looks like I’m sharing this one with... Flora?”

When she opens the door, which was already slightly ajar, a loud yelp makes her flinch. Curious, Stella stands on her tiptoes to catch a glimpse of what’s going on. Both girls, dumbfounded, can only stare at a plant placed on a nearby stool, crying in pain after Bloom accidentally stepped on one of its long branches.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Bloom mutters, anxious. “I didn’t mean to hurt you...”

Stella can only roll her eyes: in what universe does one end up apologizing to a plant, even if it’s apparently able to scream? A girl walks up to the creature and gently strokes its leaves, a gesture that seems to soothe it because it soon quiets down. Her skin, tanned and smooth, reminds Stella of the bronze some of her jewels are made of. When the plant-whisperer turns around, her slightly lighter hair falls sideways to reveal her shy but radiant smile.

“I’m so sorry about that: I only arrived a short while ago, but my plants are already everywhere... I was trying to find a place for them to rest, that’s why I didn’t even see you coming. My name is Flora, nice to meet you!”

“Hi, Flora,” Bloom says with a small wave. “I’m Bloom, it’s so nice to meet you too!”

“Um, Bloom?” Stella taps her shoulder, trying hard not to panic. “It’d be better if you introduced yourself with your actual name. Otherwise, people might get confused and…”

“Oh, right, I’m such a klutz!” Bloom lets out a small, nervous laugh. “My real name is Varanda, and I’m the princess of Calixto. Bloom is just a nickname I’m very fond of.”

“I see,” Flora nods, not even remotely suspicious. “I’ll call you Bloom then if you wish! Varanda of Calixto is much too long.”

“Calixto?” repeats a tall girl with short-pink hair, showing up out of nowhere behind Bloom and Stella. “You mean the fourth realm of the last ring of the magical dimension, the furthest away from Magix, its capital? Talk about a distant world… Well, that was a mouthful. Hi, I’m Tecna.”

“Hello, Tecna! I’m Stella,” she blurts before Bloom can jeopardize their scheme yet again.

“Princess Stella? Wait, I’ve heard many things about you,” Tecna’s brows furrow.

“Me too.”

One more girl enters the room and walks up to the four of them. She’s more of a tomboy, seeing as she’s wearing a pair of baggy jeans and a sporty red top, while she keeps her jet-black hair up in two short pigtails. Out of the five of them, she’s by far the palest. 

“I only ask one thing of you, princess,” she smirks. “Let us know in advance if you’re planning to blow up your room so that we have time to look for cover.” 

Tecna and Flora both laugh without any inhibitions, while on the other hand Bloom tries but fails to stifle her giggles. Stella crosses her arms and huffs, offended, but when she notices that the last girl to arrive doesn’t seem to have any malicious intent towards her, she allows herself to show a small smile. 

“In case any of you are interested, what happened last year was all an accident,” Stella says in her own defense, seeing as otherwise, she’ll become more and more infamous. 

“An accident that resulted in your expulsion from Alfea,” Tecna states with a neutral voice. “It was all over the net. I’ve been wondering: how did you convince them to readmit you after that?” 

“It was easy enough: they knew the academy needed someone like me here,” she answers with a confident smile. “So here I am, ready to stay this time around.” 

“That’s fine by me,” the newcomer shrugs. “By the way, I’m Musa. I guess the five of us will be living together from now on.” 

“Especially us two: we’re going to share the last bedroom, after all,” Tecna points to the last door of the corridor, visible from inside Flora and Bloom’s room. “I’m thinking we’ll have to unpack and settle in today since tomorrow's classes start very early in the morning.” 

“As far as I know, we’re free for the remainder of the day,” Stella says, proud of her new status as the veteran of the group. “You’re right: it’s better to unpack as soon as possible, because from now on having this much spare time will be a rare occurrence; trust me.”

Before any of the girls can say anything else, a loud crashing noise startles them. Flora’s talking plant, which she had left on top of a nearby side table, lays on a heap on the floor. The fall has shattered the pot it was in, scattering pieces of muddy clay all around the room. Kiko is hanging from its vines, trying to wiggle away from the plant’s grasp with little success. 

“Oh, no!” Flora rushes to her plant and frees the desperate bunny from its hold. “I’m very sorry, Bloom. She’s usually so well-behaved... I hope your little friend is alright.” 

Kiko jumps from Flora’s arms to Bloom’s, hiding from the girls’ concerned glances as if it were afraid of being attacked again. The redheaded girl pets it softly with a smile, and Stella sees that she’s trying to reassure Flora, just like when they first entered the room. 

“Don’t worry, I’m sure your plant did nothing wrong,” she says, while the bunny begins to relax. “Kiko does have a nasty habit of chewing plants, no matter what they look like or how they taste. It was probably defending itself from his teeth.” 

Flora sighs, relieved, and begins to collect the broken shards of clay from the floor. As soon as she sees her, Bloom sets her luggage aside and kneels down to help her. The brunette tries to stop her, but she’s having none of it. 

“Need a hand?” Musa asks, also leaving her bag on the floor. 

“It’s fine,” Bloom replies, nevertheless thankful for her offer. “This is our room now, and Flora and I caused this in the first place. Both of us will be more than enough to clean it up.”

“Let’s settle in our room, then,” Tecna tells Musa as she goes back to the corridor.

“Wait,” Stella says, “We should hang out together later; you know, to celebrate the beginning of the school year. What do you think?”

They all look excited at the prospect as if they had reached an agreement beforehand, despite it being an idea born in the spur of the moment.

“That’s a great idea,” Flora smiles, and Stella realizes she might very well be the sweetest girl she’s ever met. “That way we can get to know each other better.”

“Please, tell me we’re going to Magix,” Bloom says dreamily, at the same time she picks up yet another shard. “I’ve been so excited to visit it and finally see for myself how it looks like…”

“You’ve never been to the city?” Musa tilts her head, puzzled. “I guess Tecna was right: you do come from a faraway realm.”

“She’s not the only one,” Tecna herself says. “Zenith is also in the outer rings of our dimension, so we’re used to seeing Magix through simulations rather than actual physical visits.”

“It’s decided, then,” Stella exclaims. “Let’s have dinner downtown: that way, both you and Bloom can experience Magix’s magic for yourselves!”

All five of them agree to finish up before a certain time so that they can both walk around the city center and look for a nice place to eat while still making it back to Alfea before curfew. Musa and Tecna are the first ones to leave, eager to check out their room, while Bloom and Flora finish cleaning up the mess made by their respective pets before they begin to settle in. It is then when Stella decides to leave for her own room, suddenly aware that she’ll have to rush if she wants to be done in time to meet the others: she’s sure that few students have brought as much luggage as she has.

* * *

Stella hates unpacking with a passion, despite the tremendous love she has for her clothes. It’s because of it that she understands that her many things deserve to be cared for, and unfortunately, leaving them cooped up in her suitcases isn’t the way to go. Hence why she has spent the better part of the afternoon emptying her bags and organizing the contents in her room’s many closets, shelves, and clothing racks. She has left her door open just like the other girls so that they can all waltz into the sitting room at any given time and take a break before going back to their chores.

Ironically enough, Stella knows she has to get used to it. Not because she’ll be traveling back and forth between Alfea and Solaria, but more due to her parents’ impending divorce. From now on, she’ll have to visit her mother’s villa on the outskirts of the capital whenever she wants to see her. Taking out her comm for the first time in what feels like days, Stella slumps down in her bed and browses through her messages. She smiles as soon as she sees her latest ones from the boys, all of them wishing both her and Bloom good luck in Alfea, which she assumes they must’ve sent a while after parting ways with them. After sending a quick reply to them, Stella notices an earlier message from none other than her father.

_Hello, little bird. I’m really sorry about yesterday: the meeting went on for far too long, but I’m at fault for not being there as I promised. I miss you already: the palace isn’t the same without you. I hope you’re already at school, safe and sound. Please call me when you have a moment to talk. Always remember I love you. Radius._

Stella closes her eyes and leaves her comm aside, conflicted. It’s been only a little more than two days since she last saw her father, but she already longs for his clumsy hugs and his warm, kind voice. But her anger at being stood up still lingers, though severely weakened by her earlier brush with danger. She resolves to answer succinctly, even though she knows that by the time she comes back from the city, she’ll be more than ready to give him a call and forgive him.

“I hope you’re not asleep,” Bloom chuckles, as she walks through the sitting room to join Stella. “Flora and I have just finished, while Musa and Tecna were done a while ago. How about you?”

“We can go now,” Stella smiles, just before slipping her comm into her bright green handbag.

They meet the others in the corridor and chat all the way to the campus’s stop. It doesn’t take long for the bus to arrive, and Stella can’t help but think that they’ve been lucky: not that many Alfea students seem to have thought of going to Magix this afternoon, seeing as they’re nearly alone in the vehicle. Thanks to that, the girls find themselves in the middle of the city only a short while later. Stella leads Bloom out of the bus, while Tecna walks behind her with her hands covering the Earth girl’s eyes.

“Are we there yet?” she asks, amused.

“Not yet, Bloom,” Musa laughs, running ahead of the rest of them. “We’ll be there soon!”

When they finally reach Magix Plaza, the city’s most emblematic spot thanks to its large fountain, Tecna takes a step back, letting Bloom see the capital of the magical dimension with her own eyes for the very first time. Stella doesn’t know what she’s expecting: a loud gasp, or perhaps a more thorough look around. But Bloom raises her eyes to the air and lets out a disappointed sigh.

“This is Magix? You’re telling me this is the city of magic, the capital of the entire dimension?”

“How did you think it would be?” Musa shrugs.

“I don’t know!” Bloom says. “I guess I thought there’d be other creatures different from us: ogres, ghouls, pixies, elves, dragons… Not—not this!”

“It was like that,” Tecna replies, amused. “But it was years, maybe even several centuries ago.”

“I thought you’d find Magix beautiful, Bloom,” Flora says softly. “It’s different from my village in Linphea but I still think it’s wonderful, in its own way.”

“Flora’s right, Bloom,” Stella points to a nearby driver who’s about to park into a space he has just created without leaving his hovercar. “If you want to see its magic, you only have to open your eyes!”

Speechless, Bloom takes a more careful look around, taking in the city surrounding them and its citizens, all of whom are users of magic in their everyday lives. A group of fairies a few years older than them enter a nearby boutique and begin trying outfits at a fast pace, only having to wait for a moment for their clothes to change back to their original ones. In the main plaza, a gnome is offering a flock of pigeons an endless supply of seeds, smiling as they gather at his feet.

Stella shakes Bloom off her daze and leads her friends through the maze of streets that is the city center, trying to remember how to get to one of her mother’s favorite restaurants. A short while later, they find it and manage to score a table on the outside terrace. The maître recognizes Stella, even though it has been years since the last time she came, and he assures her as they take a seat that she and her friends will always be considered special customers. Her friends share confused but pleased smiles, not yet used to that kind of treatment.

“I’ve been wondering, Flora,” Stella says right after drinking a sip of sparkling water. “Why did you choose Alfea instead of Linphea College? It has an excellent reputation, too.”

“My parents... Things have been difficult for my family lately,” Flora says in a low voice. “Our income is barely enough to support us, and I have a little sister who’ll be attending school too, in only a few years. Alfea has many scholarships for students from other realms, while Linphea doesn’t, so…”

“I know what you mean,” Tecna nods in agreement when it becomes obvious that Flora doesn’t want to elaborate further. “I also came thanks to the same scholarship. If Alfea hadn’t admitted me, the Zenith government would’ve placed me in whatever national school it deemed perfect for me.”

“Creepy,” Musa frowns, taken aback. “Are you telling me you don’t get to decide where to go?”

“Official AIs are the ones that make those decisions,” Tecna shrugs, unbothered.

“Well, that sucks. I picked Alfea because it was the best school outside my realm,” Musa replies. “It wasn’t like it mattered much to me to stay in Melody: my father is always traveling, and since he couldn’t take me with him now that I had to begin my studies, I was the one who chose.”

“I guess you all came to Alfea because you chose to, then,” Stella musters a small smile. “I wish I could’ve done the same. My parents were the ones who planned my academic future for me.”

“Being a princess does have its disadvantages, doesn’t it?” Flora says, as understanding as always. “Then I suppose it was the same for you, right, Bloom?”

“Yes, it was—it was complicated,” she stutters, and Stella refrains from landing a kick on her leg under the table, paranoid as she is that their elaborate house of cards will come tumbling down in just a matter of seconds. “That reminds me: I should call my parents. I couldn’t do so back in the dorm, and I don’t want them to worry about me.”

Bloom takes something out of her jeans’ back pocket and leaves it on the table, next to her folded napkin. Tecna, who’s sitting by her side, glances at it with curiosity, obviously trying too hard to appear disinterested.

“Tecna, earlier you said you’re good with technology. Can you check whether there’s anything wrong with it?” Bloom asks, worried. “I’ve tried calling my parents a few times, but so far I’ve had no luck. The line simply goes dead after a while.”

It is then when Stella realizes that Bloom’s strange device is an outdated communicator that bears more than a passing resemblance to the one in the Peters’ living room in Gardenia, the same one she turned into a cauliflower only a day ago. But before she can open her mouth to intervene and avoid raising the other girls’ suspicions, Tecna picks it up, no longer making any effort to mask her excitement.

“I thought you’d never ask,” she examines it for a few seconds before bursting out laughing. “This piece of tech is the most outdated one I’ve ever seen! Where and how did you come upon it in the first place?”

Bloom gives Stella a confused look, trying hard to think of a suitable answer to Tecna’s question. Musa and Flora also seem curious to hear what she has to say in response, but it isn’t long before the pink-haired girl looks down to the device and returns it to its owner.

“I’m really sorry, Bloom. That was very rude of me,” she says, meeting her eyes. “I don’t know what came over me. Maybe I overreacted because I’ve never seen this type of technology before, and I have no idea of where to begin trying to fix it.”

“Let’s leave it at that,” Stella chimes, handing her comm over to Bloom. “Here, you can use mine. If you still have any problems, you only have to come back and tell us. I’m sure Tecna knows her way around this one.”

Tecna nods, eyeing Stella’s state-of-the-art piece of tech as if it were a limited-edition dress, while Bloom takes it and walks away, needing privacy to contact her parents. Stella shudders thinking of what would happen if Flora, Musa, and Tecna heard her telling her Earth-born parents all about Magix and their world. She busies herself with her drink, as eager as Tecna seems to be to leave the uncomfortable moment behind.

“Anyway,” Musa says, breaking the silence that hung over them. “I’m glad we’re all dormmates. I kept hoping I’ll get along with whoever I was placed with.”

She looks over to Tecna, who smiles, seeming to approve of Musa as her roommate so far.

“I think so too,” Flora says shyly. “I was afraid it’d be hard to make friends since we'd be placed at random, but so far we’re on very good terms with each other.”

“We’ve been lucky,” Stella laughs. “Let’s say the girls I roomed with last year, also in the Wings Dormitory, weren’t as nice as you are. The only good thing they did for me was giving me that stupid dare because thanks to that I got to meet the Specialists. Other than that…”

“Wait, wait—” Musa interrupts before Stella can move on. “With the Specialists, you mean some of the boys from Red Fountain?”

“Yeah. Oh, wait, maybe you saw them today!” Stella exclaims as soon as she remembers. “They took us to the academy using one of their school’s hovercrafts. We landed right outside the gate.”

Flora makes a visible effort to recall her own arrival earlier today, but she seems to have trouble doing so. Stella wonders if she was too distracted by the talking plant and her other specimens to notice anything else happening near her.

“I think I saw you, now that I think about it,” Musa chuckles. “I did think a drama queen would be the only one capable of organizing such a grand arrival, and knowing now it was you, Stella, it looks like I was right.”

Tecna and Flora laugh and Stella joins them, much to her inner chagrin. She notices Bloom isn’t back yet and looks for her right around where she last saw her, with no luck. As her unrest grows, Stella stands up and leaves the others behind without a word, running towards the quiet street that Bloom stopped in to call her parents from a safe distance.

“What’s going on?” Musa appears by her side, having almost managed to outrun her. “Stella, are you okay?”

“Bloom’s gone,” she mumbles. “I only took my eyes off her for a short while, but then she wasn’t there. It’s weird that it’s taking her this long to talk to her parents. Something’s up, I know it.”

Just as Flora and Tecna catch up to them, Stella sprints down the deserted road, having identified the source of her dread: a powerful hex, as strong as it is cruel, having just been cast not too far away from them. Hoping that whoever was at its receiving end wasn’t an innocent, unfortunate soul, she stops in her tracks when she reaches a dark alley with no way out.

The first thing she sees is Bloom, frozen solid while in the middle of a horrible scream.

Next to her, a witch whose hair is as white as snow scratches the ice that encases Bloom with her sharp and pointy nails. She turns around, having heard Stella coming, and stares at her as if she were nothing more than a dirty pebble found in the side of the road. Another witch appears by her side, and her soulless eyes open wide as she speaks.

“Icy, this isn’t a game anymore.”

“Why not?” a third one asks, her wild hair and untamed pose screaming madness to anyone around her. “Since when you don’t like to have fun with pixies, Darcy?”

“You idiot,” Darcy points at Stella before continuing. “Can you recognize the princess of Solaria by yourself, Stormy, or are you only useful to wreak havoc and kick kittens around for fun?”

The one that hasn’t spoken yet takes a step towards Stella, who recognizes the creature flanking her as the ogre that ambushed her in Gardenia. He seems to be aware of who she is, too, judging from the resentment brimming in his tiny eyes.

“I see…” the witch says with an unpleasant smile. “We do need the princess and her scepter, don’t we, sisters?”

Stella shares an alarmed look with Musa, Tecna, and Flora, who seem to have had her back from the moment she reached the alley. Before the witches can do anything else, she transforms into her fairy form and changes her ring into her scepter. Her friends do the same, with Tecna being cautious enough to raise a green energy shield to separate Bloom and them from the trio. The ogre rushes towards them, but Flora stops him when she conjures a bunch of vines under his feet.

“Don’t get scared so fast, little pixies,” the witch referred to as Icy says with a sickly-sweet voice.

Stella notices the incantation she’s muttering and grabs her scepter with both hands before tapping the ground with it. She gathers all the additional energy she finds from artificial sources of light around them, seeing as the sun has already set, hoping that combined with her magic, it’ll make her strong enough to teleport her friends and a frozen Bloom back to the safety of Alfea’s campus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter! This one's pretty special, seeing as not only are the rest of the Winx introduced but also the Trix. There'll be lots of bonding between the girls coming soon, I promise! This one came to me more easily, maybe because it doesn't derive from canon as much as the last one did, even though some scenes have changed. Feel free to tell me what you're thinking of the story so far!
> 
> Next chapter's summary:
> 
> _Stella ends up having to explain the truth about Bloom not only to their new friends but also to Headmistress Faragonda (all while hoping not to be expelled yet again). But as the night falls over Alfea and none of them are able to sleep, Stella realizes that the dorm she and Bloom now share with Musa, Flora, and Tecna has begun to feel like home._


	5. The girls of the Winx Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella ends up having to explain the truth about Bloom not only to their new friends, but also to Headmistress Faragonda (all while hoping not to be expelled yet again). But as the night falls over Alfea and none of them are able to sleep, Stella realizes that the room she and Bloom now share with Musa, Flora and Tecna has begun to feel like home.

Stella falls to the ground, out of breath. Just like all the other times she’s tried it before, the teleportation spell has emptied her body of almost all its magic, leaving her as exhausted as if she’d been running through the halls of the academy for the better part of the day. Despite still having her scepter in her hands, her transformation fades, leaving her in her regular clothes once again with her ring on her palm. If not for the shiny beads of sweat dripping from her forehead, anyone would’ve thought they had just come back from a leisurely meal instead of a dire fight against a trio of mean-spirited witches.

“Bloom,” Stella barely manages to stand up and approach her frozen friend. “Wait for me just a moment. I’m getting you out of there.”

With the little magic she has left, Stella warms up her hands and touches the pillar of ice, which is reduced to a boiling puddle under her feet. Bloom’s limp body falls to the ground and Stella crouches beside her, helping her move to a sitting position so that her back rests against the rosy wall circling Alfea.

“Wake up, B,” Stella holds her in her arms, hoping that the combination of her magic and her body heat will be enough to warm her up. “Come on, I know you can do it. You were very brave back there, you know? With you being from Earth and all, it was pretty impressive.”

“It’s—it’s so cold…” Bloom shivers as she opens her eyes, still freezing and unable to stop her teeth from chattering. “Is it over?”

“I brought us back to Alfea,” she smiles, “so there’s no need to worry about the witches anymore. We’re safe, bless the stars.”

Behind her, someone clears their throat and Stella realizes they aren’t alone. When she takes her eyes off Bloom and turns around, Musa is standing with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face, again in her loose pants and her bright scarlet top.

“What did just happen back there?” she all but shouts, upset. “Stella and Varanda, or whatever you’re called, care to explain what’s going on?”

She isn’t alone: neither Tecna nor Flora look remotely happy.

“Earth?” Flora repeats, uncertain. “Is there something you haven’t told us about Bloom?”

“It was kind of difficult to explain…” Stella makes an awkward pause, not knowing how to begin explaining her first encounter with Bloom. “I didn’t mean to lie to you. It’s just that the situation is complicated, and I thought it would be best to—”

“Were you actually thinking about the possible consequences of your actions, Princess Stella? If so, we’re very eager to hear what you have to say for yourself, young lady.”

Griselda’s heels click-clack as she crosses the campus’s main plaza in their direction, followed by Headmistress Faragonda herself. Stella can’t help but stay silent, mortified. Of course, they’ve found out, and she should’ve known better from the start. Now they’re going to expel her again, and there’s no way she can tell what’s going to happen to Bloom. Even worse, the three girls she hoped would become her friends over the course of the year are in trouble as well: Flora seems to be on the verge of tears, while Musa’s anger is morphing into frustration, and Tecna has a blank look on her face that seems to be masking a torrent of emotions, none of them pleasant.

“I think you’ve managed to break another record this year,” Griselda continues, seeing as Stella doesn’t have it in her to argue. “Never before have any students, least of all first-years, excelled this much in their rule-breaking. Need I remind you this is only your first day at the academy?”

“This was all my fault,” Stella squeaks as she stands up, followed by Bloom. “Musa, Tecna, and Flora have nothing to do with this. I was the reason why they broke curfew.”

“Is that right, girls?” Headmistress Faragonda asks, visibly calmer than Griselda. “If so, you can go back to your rooms. We’ll talk about this in more detail tomorrow morning, at my office.”

The three girls nod, albeit somewhat reluctantly, but they seem to be in no hurry to return to the dorm. Stella looks away, not wanting to see any resentment in their faces, and faces the two older women with a serious expression.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself,” Griselda’s hawk-like lands squarely on Bloom, “Princess Varanda of Calixto?”

“I’m really sorry I lied to you,” Bloom replies before Stella can intervene. “The truth is, I’m not a princess, and I’m not Varanda of Calixto. My name is Bloom, Bloom Peters.”

“I knew you weren’t a princess! Impersonating a member of a royal family is a serious offense,” the head of discipline states as she pushes her tiny glasses up her long, thin nose. “If the Calixto monarchs wished, they could take this up to the authorities. The High Council of Magix wouldn’t be nearly as lenient as this school might, young lady.”

Bloom trembles and Stella feels more than ready to lash out at Griselda, but the headmistress puts her hand on her colleague’s shoulders and gives both girls a much gentler smile.

“You may be right, but there’s no need to scare the girls any further, Griselda. Leave this to me,” she steps closer to them and continues. “I believe there has to be a reason why you deceived us and assumed another identity. Are you in any trouble, child? If so, we could’ve helped you, had you told us about it as soon as you arrived. We can still try, but only if you’re honest with us. I’d like to believe you didn’t lie to us without having any reason for it.”

The girls share a hopeful look when they hear the headmistress’s words. Stella lets Bloom tell her side of the story, ready to intervene on her behalf if the situation so requires.

“I live with my parents on Earth, in the city of Gardenia. I didn’t know I was a fairy until I met Stella purely by chance, and I learned I had powers, even though I still don’t know much about them. She was on her way to Alfea, and I ended up coming with her.”

“I told her to come with me,” Stella adds. “I had just learned that Princess Varanda had declined her admission, so I thought of making Bloom pretend to be her since she hadn’t been accepted.”

“Earth? But it’s impossible,” Griselda says, bewildered. “Fairies and other magical creatures have been extinct there for centuries. There’s no way—”

“But there is, Griselda,” Headmistress Faragonda states calmly. “Bloom must be magical, or else she would’ve been unable to cross the barrier surrounding the academy.”

“She lied to us,” the head of discipline replies, shaking her head in disapproval while she eyes the girls. “That’s unforgivable. And let’s not forget she isn’t even an official student of this academy, and so we’re under no obligation to—”

“Griselda,” the headmistress puts her hand on her colleague’s shoulder, making her go silent all of a sudden. “You’re both still young and, understandably, you sometimes make the wrong decisions. I believe you deserve a second chance, Bloom; just as you did last year, Princess Stella.”

Stella answers with a radiant smile: she’d placed her hopes on Headmistress Faragonda’s kindness and once again, she isn’t disappointed. Bloom looks like she’s about to burst into tears of joy, and when she looks at her, she realizes she may be getting a bit emotional too.

“Let’s say today is a day for second chances,” the headmistress continues. “I’ll be expecting you in my office tomorrow morning to formalize your enrolment, Bloom. Princess Stella, you can go with her since you already know the way: I’ll also be needing you there.”

“I’m going to become a fairy…” Bloom whispers in utter disbelief, while Stella can only smile.

“Now go back to your room; it’s been a long day, full of surprises and emotions, and you’ll need your rest to be ready when classes begin. I only ask you to think this over and refrain from any more rule-breaking over the course of this year,” Faragonda gives them a tired smile. “I think we all have had enough of that for one day. Come on, your friends are waiting for you.”

Sure enough, the girls never left: Flora, Musa, and Tecna are standing next to the doors leading to the stairs that go up right next to their dorm. Stella strides towards them, desperately in need of her beauty sleep so that her eye bags won’t scare anyone tomorrow morning into thinking a wild panda has broken into their room. But Bloom lingers behind, and she hears her quickly thank the two older women before catching up to her.

“That was intense,” Bloom says, earning a good-natured laugh from Stella.

“You can say that again. I kept thinking they were going to expel me. Again. It would’ve given my father a heart attack.” 

“So,” Musa says as soon as they approach the doors. “I hope this means you’re both staying.” 

“You’re stuck with us for the rest of the year,” Stella laughs. “We’re not that easy to get rid of.” 

Bloom looks like she’s about to join in, but then she lets out a big, loud yawn. Musa bursts out laughing, Stella chuckles and Flora seizes the chance to usher them inside the building. Together, they climb the stairs in silence, wary not to wake up any other students or faculty members. Stella has enough with being last year’s official troublemaker: she doesn’t need to be labeled as such yet again, even though something tells her it’s already too late to prevent that from happening. As they get closer to their dorm, Bloom seems to have trouble staying awake and Stella can see why; being attacked and frozen alive is enough to tire a seasoned fairy out, let alone a fledgling like her. She isn’t much better herself: the teleportation spell was her only choice to get all of them safely to Alfea, but if that weren’t the case, she’d surely regret it. She’s feeling cranky and sore all over.

“I—I wanted to say something before we went to bed,” Flora says while Tecna closes the door behind her. “I don’t want there to be any more lies between us. Maybe I’m the only one thinking we’re becoming friends, but… friends don’t lie to each other, right?”

Stella isn’t the most self-conscious person and she’s aware of that, ironically enough. She knows she would’ve felt offended if anyone else had said that, but the fact that Flora’s the sweetest fairy she’s met so far helps her see the truth in her words.

“You’re right,” Bloom stops in her tracks to look into Flora’s eyes. “I want all five of us to become friends and stick together this year, but it’s true that it can never happen if we don’t trust each other. I’m sorry Stella and I lied to you about who I am and where I come from.”

“I—I’m sorry,” Stella says, noticing how the words sound strange and foreign as they come out of her mouth. “I was the one who pushed Bloom into pretending to be Varanda in the first place.”

Flora’s radiant smile makes it clear she accepts their apology, with the same going for both Musa and Tecna. But still uncomfortable with the situation, Stella opts to whisper a quick goodbye and enter her room alone. Her shoulders slump in relief as she closes the door and presses her back against it, listening in as the others also retreat to their own bedrooms. The dormitory goes silent and Stella changes into her silky beige nightgown before tucking into her large, oval-shaped bed.

Stella tosses and turns between her sheets, again and again, unable to fall asleep. A tiny voice in her head keeps reminding her of how prideful she must’ve looked like moments ago. But she’s unable to remember the last time she had to apologize for something; perhaps it was to her father when she came back early from Alfea with a letter from the school’s board detailing the reasons for her expulsion. She isn’t used to admitting her mistakes out loud, and she wonders whether her obvious difficulties to swallow her pride have ruined her chance at making truly good friends. Her first try at Alfea proves that her enthusiastic, overconfident approach has already failed once.

Sometime later, a soft knock on her door prompts Stella to raise from her bed, trying to guess who can be this late into the night. Bloom’s sunny yet sleepy smile is the first thing her eyes see in the darkness of the hallway.

“I hope I didn’t wake you up, Stell. I just couldn’t sleep, and I thought that maybe—”

“Me neither,” she whispers before she can continue rambling. “Want some company?”

“Please,” Bloom lights up and walks towards the dorm’s sitting room, with Stella close behind. “You don’t think we’ll wake the others up if we stay here, do you?”

“The girls I roomed with last year met here regularly without me noticing until the morning after,” Stella shrugs. “It’ll be alright, I guess.”

Bloom doesn’t say anything, but her expression seems to darken as she sits on one of the colorful bean bags. Stella chooses to lay over the fluffy couch next to it, resting her head on a pillow while still facing her redheaded friend. It takes her a few tries to find the most comfortable position, but when she does, a faint blush is spreading quickly across Bloom’s freckled face.

“What is it?”

“Your nightie,” she stutters.

Stella looks down and surely enough, her nightgown has gotten stuck between the sofa’s cushions, exposing the better part of her thighs. She doesn’t think much of it before she sets it in place again, blinking repeatedly to avoid dozing off now that she’s here, keeping Bloom company.

“I keep thinking about what happened in Magix,” Bloom says. “About those three girls and why they attacked us.”

“They were witches. Cloudtower witches,” Stella corrects. “In fact, I think I’ve heard their names before, but I just can’t remember who they are or why I know about them to begin with…”

“The tallest one was Icy,” she mumbles, shivering for a split second. “The one that found me was called Darcy, and I think the last one’s name was—”

“Stormy,” Stella’s eyes widen in realization. “I’d never met them before, but I’ve heard of them. They’re senior witches who call themselves the Trix. I believe they’re sisters, but I’m not so sure about that. I mean, they barely resembled each other. They did have a terrible fashion sense in common, though.”

Bloom tries to grin at that, but her smile barely reaches her eyes. Stella waits for her to spit it out.

“I followed Knut, the ogre that attacked us, into that alley. I had seen him spying on you while you were still having dinner; after that, he told them where you were so that they could take your ring for themselves and test you to see if you have the power they’ve been looking for. They’re dangerous, Stella, and they’ve been targeting you from the start.”

When she hears her friend’s words, everything begins to make sense for her. Stella realizes that the Trix must’ve been the masterminds behind the Calixto portal’s sudden malfunction, the main reason why she ended up stranded on Earth in the first place. They sent Knut to grab both her and her scepter, and he may very well have succeeded if Bloom hadn’t arrived on time to save her.

“Did I hear that right?” Musa peeks out from behind the door, which Stella had left ajar. “Were those witches targeting our princess? What’s this, a fairytale? Because it’s the first time I hear anything about this.”

“Musa,” Tecna towers over her with a stern look on her face, and it’s then when Stella realizes just how tall she is compared to herself. “Don’t you think interrupting someone in the middle of the night like this can be quite scary?”

“Sorry,” she whispers, looking relieved to see Bloom and Stella’s amused looks. “But I kept trying to hear your conversation with the teachers in the courtyard, but there was no way to get closer without them realizing we were still there…”

“Mainly because you don’t know the meaning of the word ‘subtle’,” Tecna sighs. “I’m sure that the headmistress noticed but said nothing. If it had been Miss Griselda instead…”

Stella chuckles, having no trouble at all imagining the head of discipline biting Musa’s head off for eavesdropping. Tecna sits on the floor near her, with her back straight against the sofa Stella’s on. Musa chooses to sit slumped on a bean bag, right next to Bloom.

“I thought I heard something,” Flora walks up from the corridor leading to Stella’s bedroom and the one she shares with Bloom, stifling a yawn. “But I figured you’d still be sleeping.”

“Who did you think it was, then?” Stella raises one of her perfectly trimmed eyebrows. “Ghosts?”

“One of my plants, I guess…” she trails off, as the girls try and fail to stifle a laugh. “What? It’s happened before. They can be quite rebellious sometimes.”

“I can rest without worries now,” Stella jokes. “If those witches come back for us, Flora’s plants will be enough to protect us.”

Flora looks confused, so Stella beckons her to sit in the sofa by her side. Her apology, as awkward as it must've been, has been enough to make her concerns disappear: the gentle girl seems to be at ease around both Bloom and her now.

“We were talking about the witches from before,” Bloom explains. “They’re after Stella and her scepter. It was because of the monsters they sent to attack her on Earth that we met each other, and I discovered I was a fairy.”

“They’re students of Cloudtower,” Stella goes on. “I didn’t say anything about them or the ogre to Griselda and the headmistress. They’d never believe me: we don’t have any proof, and seeing as every year there are countless confrontations between fairies of Alfea and witches... It would’ve been our word against theirs.”

“Do we even know who they are?” Flora tilts her head sideways, deep in thought.

“Icy, Darcy and Stormy,” Stella rolls her eyes. “People know them as the Trix.”

“We’re a group too now, so we need a name as well!” Bloom grins. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since we came back from Magix. What do you think of ‘Winx’? You know, because we are in the Wings dormitory.”

Flora nods enthusiastically, while Musa doesn’t seem to be so sure. Stella can think of much better ones, all of which include some variation of her own name and have nothing in common with the trio of horrible witches they’ve just fought.

“What are we, the fairy rip-off of the Trix witches?” she wrinkles her nose in distaste.

“Stell!” Bloom whines, annoyed. “It comes from Wings and Magix: Winx!”

“I didn’t know every group of friends needed a name,” Tecna mumbles. “That wasn’t anywhere on the net. Perhaps it’s something only common on Earth?”

Musa, Flora, Bloom, and Stella giggle, and it doesn’t take long for Tecna to smile as well.

“I’m ready to answer any questions you may have about Earth, but first, let me introduce myself again. I’m Bloom Peters, I come from the city of Gardenia, and I’ve never been to Calixto in my life. Needless to say, I’m not a princess either.”

“Now that you’ve set the record straight,” Stella grins after they’ve all managed to stop laughing, “you should tell them how you got to meet some of the most handsome students of Red Fountain.”

And so Bloom tells the girls all about the past few days: the discovery of her true nature as a fairy, the fight with Stella against the monsters and the Specialists’ impromptu rescue operation. The three of them turn out to be great at acting as if they were the audience of a show, gasping when things get dire and marveling whenever something good happens.

“Why did you mention the boys again?” Bloom asks Stella after she finished telling her side of the story.

“Because it won’t be long before we get to introduce them to Flora, Musa, and Tecna,” Stella says with a satisfied smile. “By the end of the first week, our schools get together to organize the first event of the year: the homecoming ball!”

Flora and Musa share a surprised yet excited look, while Tecna only nods; Stella can’t help but think she must’ve found out about it somewhere online. But Bloom quickly distracts her, seeing as she seems to be positively terrified by the prospect.

“Aren’t you excited?” Stella asks. “I thought you and the guys were getting along nicely…”

“It’s not about them… Is it a formal dance? I haven’t gone to prom in Gardenia yet, and I don’t know how to dance. Mom promised to show me later this year, but if it’s later this week… And I don’t think I have a suitable dress! What am I going to do?”

“There’s still time,” Musa shrugs, as nonchalant as Bloom is worried. “Take it easy, Bloom.”

“Yeah: we should be worrying about the witches of Cloudtower instead,” the others all look back at her, puzzled, so Stella goes on. “Since they’re never invited to the homecoming ball, every year they try to sabotage it and make us all miserable. Last year, they were almost successful, but their plan fell apart at the very last moment; bless the stars. Otherwise, it would’ve been nasty.”

“But will you help me, Stella?” Bloom asks, pouting as Stella thinks Kiko would if he were to ask her owner for some baby carrots. “Pretty please?”

“I promise,” she replies with a long, drawn-out yawn. “Okay, now I’m sleepy again; aren’t you?”

“Maybe we should go back to bed,” Flora nods. “Otherwise, we’ll be exhausted tomorrow.”

As if on cue, something inside the pockets of Tecna’s shorts begins to beep insistently. She takes out her comm and pales.

“Do you know what time it is?” she asks, without taking her eyes off the screen. “Classes begin in less than an hour, girls.”

Seeing as none of them have slept a wink, Stella can only groan in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter sees the girls becoming a bit closer as they learn more about each other, and that's why I loved writing it! Most of it is my own version of what happens after the Winx break curfew and Bloom's true identity is discovered. Stella has some insecurities when it comes to making friends, but the girls are going to help her with it! They'll also be finding more and more about the Trix, so stay tuned to see more of them too. Also, Faragonda and Griselda are a perfect example of the 'good cop, bad cop' approach, don't you think?
> 
> Next chapter's summary:
> 
> _Stella has been looking forward to the homecoming ball that Alfea’s hosting for the boys of Red Fountain, so she’s more than happy to help the rest of the Winx with their outfits. But when she helps Bloom look for a dress in the castle's labyrinthic basement, they discover a malicious plan to sabotage the dance. Will they arrive in time to choose their partners for the first dance of the year?_


	6. A ball to remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella has been looking forward to the homecoming ball that Alfea’s hosting for the boys of Red Fountain, so she’s more than happy to help the rest of the Winx with their outfits. But when she and Bloom go look for a dress to the castle's labyrinthic basement, they discover a malicious plan to sabotage the dance. Will they arrive in time to choose their partners for the first dance of the year?

As her first week at the academy comes to an end, and with it the orientation period for all new students, Stella gets to hear the announcement she had been waiting for. While the Winx are having breakfast in the castle’s large dining hall, Headmistress Faragonda stands up, commanding the attention of every young fairy in the room.

“Good morning, girls. I hope you’re all enjoying your breakfast. I promise this won’t take long,” she chuckles. “Tonight, as many of you may already know, it’s our turn to host the annual homecoming ball, an event that allows Alfea and Red Fountain students alike to mingle and celebrate the beginning of another school year together.”

“Did she just say ‘mingle’?” Musa whispers, amused. “I knew Faragonda was old, but I never thought of her as ancient. Or who knows, maybe she was being ironical.”

Unable to hold back her laughter, Bloom begins to choke on the spoonful of honey milk she had just brought to her mouth. Tecna gives her a few firm pats on the back while Flora, concerned, hands her a glass of water. Faragonda goes on with her speech, oblivious to Bloom’s predicament.

“The teachers and students of Red Fountain, as our guests, will bring presents for all of us to honor our ancestors’ tradition of exchanging gifts. In turn, I ask you to channel your passion, enthusiasm, and creativity to decorate our ballroom for the dance. To make sure you have more than enough time to do so, today’s lessons are canceled, but bear in mind that there’ll be teachers around to prevent any mishaps.”

“And that is officially the best part,” Stella concludes with a satisfied smile. “No classes, no boredom, no weird transformations. We’re going to have so much fun, girls!”

It doesn’t take the Winx long to finish their breakfast and head to the venue where the dance is taking place: a large hall located right in the middle of Alfea, its transparent dome protruding from the castle’s crescent-moon shape. Many of their fellow fairies are already there and of course, tonight is the only topic being discussed, be it in groups of newcomers like themselves or slightly older students. Stella hears some of them hoping out loud to meet the boy of their dreams among the students of Red Fountain, while others seem more excited at the prospect of working together to transform the ballroom with their magic, making it into a true paradise that’ll make this night one they’ll never forget.

“There’s a decorations team,” Flora says dreamily, twirling a strand of her wavy brown hair. “Maybe I’ll join them: I think it’s the task I’m better suited for…”

“I was thinking of taking care of the music,” Musa comes to a halt when they reach the stairs that lead down to the ballroom and tries out a few spontaneous dance moves, to her friends’ amusement. “And maybe even performing myself, too.”

“That’d be great!” Bloom smiles, excited. “You should ask the headmistress, I’m sure she’ll love the idea. We can choose together some songs everyone can dance to! You know much more about music than I do, Musa, but my best friends on Earth had a band and it’d be cool if we could play one of their songs: they sound pretty good!”

“It’s a good idea,” Tecna adds, deep in thought. “We should mix up songs from different realms; that way, we could all learn more about other genres from places all over the magical dimension. I mean, I don’t know many real artists to begin with: Zenith’s music industry is entirely made up of AIs.”

“Back in Linphea, people mostly listen to instrumental music,” Flora shakes her head, visibly surprised by the many differences between her homeworld and Tecna’s. “Since it puts our minds at ease and really helps us connect with nature…”

“Then what do you think of this?” Stella jumps in. “Flora and I can help out with the decorations while you handle the music, and whoever finishes first waits for the others to go back to the dorm together.”

The others agree, and so they go down the stairs before going their separate ways. Tecna leads Bloom and Musa towards where all the tech equipment has been placed, including a booth that seems to have been taken right from a music recording studio. Leaving them to it, Stella and Flora take a look around, walking past several teams of fairies helping out under the teachers’ directions. Some are arguing about where to place the long tables on which food and beverages will be served, while others are trying hard to replicate the appetizers prepared by Master Sfoglia, Alfea’s eccentric chef, who’s known for his bad temper rather than his culinary skills. Stella tries her best to avoid him, seeing as she had more than a few run-ins with him during her first year.

“I think they’re the ones taking care of the decorations,” Flora points at a few of their classmates, who are replacing the dull beige color of the hall’s walls with a light green hue, making it much livelier than it was before.

Sure enough, Professor DuFour oversees them as they perform their spells and claps when she admires the results. She smiles as soon as she sees Stella and greets both her and Flora, though without taking her eyes off the girls whose work she’s supervising. Stella is happy to see they’ll be working together: DuFour’s etiquette and protocol lessons were the only ones she ever excelled in, which is most likely the reason why she seems to like her more than the rest of the teachers.

“Welcome, girls. Are you going to join us? We could use some help: we’re trying to decide whether to go with elegant flower arrangements or more carefree party props.”

“Flower arrangements sound more fitting,” Stella replies with a smile, while Flora nods in agreement. “In fact, I was thinking we could light up the ceiling with some sparkles! That way, the whole ballroom would light up when night falls.”

“Wonderful! I assume you can do that with your magic, Stella.”

She assures the teacher than she can indeed do it, moments before Flora voices out her own suggestion.

“I can conjure some vines too and wrap them around the columns. It’d spruce up the entire ballroom with wilder plants, more original than the usual flower arrangements.”

Professor DuFour encourages her to try the idea out, so Stella leaves them to it and musters one of her favorite spells, which proceeds to bath the ceiling with glittery powder that will sparkle after the sun sets. One of her classmates, a sunny girl with long navy-blue hair, looks up to the ceiling with amazement, admiring her work.

“It looks lovely,” she admires. “Everyone will surely notice right when they begin dancing.”

“Thanks,” Stella racks her brain, cursing herself for never being able to remember any of her classmates’ names. “Eleanor of Dolona, right?”

“Just Eleanor,” she lets out a small laugh. “Or else I’d have to call you Princess Stella of Solaria…”

“And the stars know that’s way too long,” Stella smiles. “Stella is fine. Anyway, have you finished with the flowers?”

“Your friend Flora is trying out different combinations on the pots,” Eleanor says, walking her to where Professor DuFour and the others are. “What do you think?”

An array of pink peonies and off-white hydrangeas immediately catches Stella’s eye, even among the many different varieties Flora has laid out for everyone in the group to see and pick out their favorite. She exchanges a meaningful look with her, seeing as she’s followed her gaze to that particular set. Turns out it’s the most popular one, so Flora makes peonies and hydrangeas spurt and grow from all the pots and centerpieces in the ballroom, to the students and teachers’ delight. But another of their classmates, whose name Stella hasn’t bothered to recall, eyes her flowery artwork with resentment. When she hears her mutter what can only be a spell meant for sabotage, Stella walks up to her and grabs her shoulder roughly from behind, earning a short yelp from the other fairy.

“What do you want?” she turns around to face her.

“I don’t care if you think your arrangements were better or what,” Stella glares at her, “but no one here messes with my friend without me having anything to say about it.”

“Leave me alone! You can’t prove anything,” her eyes glisten with unbridled envy.

“Oh, honey,” Stella coos in a voice dripping false concern. “Go cry elsewhere, will you?”

Her opponent looks ready to confront her, but she notices Professor DuFour is standing too close for comfort and walks away. However, Stella’s triumph is short-lived; Flora soon joins her, wearing a disapproving frown on her face instead of her usual peaceful expression.

“Amaryl seemed furious,” she observes. “I don’t know what happened, but she may now hold a grudge against you.”

“Whatever,” Stella flips her hair, more concerned about her few split ends than Amaryl’s petty outburst. “We’re done, right? Let’s go see if the others have finished, too.”

They find Musa talking to Headmistress Faragonda about the possibility of performing a solo during the dance, while Tecna and Bloom are looking outside through the ballroom’s see-through dome. Three ships from Red Fountain have just landed on the campus’ main plaza; to Griselda’s chagrin, all the girls stop whatever they’re doing to watch the boys as they descend from the hovercraft, laughing giddily as they watch the Red Fountain teachers lead their students to the castle’s main entrance.

“They’re as dreamy as you made them out to be,” Musa smirks and Stella exchanges a satisfied smile with Bloom. “Do you see the ones you told us about?”

“There’s Prince Sky,” Bloom seems to have no trouble finding him amidst the crowd. “Brandon’s the blonde one next to him, while Riven and Timmy are right behind them. We’ll see them at the dance!”

“Of course,” Stella keeps watching the prince, already daydreaming about tonight. “I’ll be dressed to impress so that Sky won’t be able to take his eyes off me.”

Before any of her friends can reply with any further remarks, they hear Griselda clear her throat right behind them, sounding quite annoyed.

“Ladies! Can we please not let ourselves be distracted? The decorations aren’t fully finished, and need I remind you none of you are dressed up appropriately for the dance yet?”

With a groan, the girls who haven’t completed their tasks get back to work. Stella and Flora, already done with the decorations, wait with Bloom and Tecna for Musa to wrap up her conversation with the headmistress before heading back to their dorm, chatting all the way upstairs.

“I _have_ to show you my dress,” Stella says, sure that they’ll also appreciate its beauty despite their different tastes. “I found it displayed on the window of one of my favorite boutiques in Solaria, only days before school started, and it was calling to me. ‘Buy me, buy me!’ How could I refuse?”

“And of course, you were kind enough to heed its call,” Musa chuckles, opening the door to their dorm’s main hallway. “Stella, that was such a grand gesture! You’re so selfless and generous...”

“Oh, stop it,” she huffs, though not at all bothered by her sarcasm. “Just you wait, I’ll show it to you! Have you decided what you’re going to wear?”

“I chose it after you told us about the ball,” Tecna states. “What are you planning, a fashion show?”

“Exactly,” Stella grins. “Let’s fetch our outfits and try them on in the sitting room!”

After the others nod, approving her idea, Stella barges into her bedroom to look for her purple dress among her many racks of clothing. It takes her a while to find it, but when she finally does, she wastes no time and puts it on, of course with a little touch of magic. After a short twirl in front of her mirror, which takes up the better part of one of the walls, she heads to the sitting room to meet the others.

Musa is the first one to arrive, clad in a long crimson suit that takes inspiration from the traditional dancing attires of her homeworld, Melody. It looks perfect on her and Stella claps as she shows it off like a real model would, unable to downplay her excitement: this impromptu runway show is proving itself to be better than many of the real ones she’s attended. Tecna appears next, holding in her hands what looks like a bunch of tangled wires held together with lavender fabric. Curious, Stella raises her eyebrows, so her pink-haired friend walks up to her so that she can take a closer look at it.

“You do dress differently in Zenith,” she observes, “but I like it! Though I’m sure it’ll look way better after you put it on.”

Her compliment lights up Tecna’s face, a remarkable feat since she usually stays cool and collected. Pleased with herself, Stella smiles back, and Musa also joins them to examine the dress. Flora comes out of the corridor, holding a couple of bulky gowns in her outstretched arms.

“I still haven’t chosen mine,” she holds out both so that they can see what they look like. “I’ve never worn the green dress before, while my mother made this rose-inspired one herself as my birthday gift. She’s very good at sewing...”

It only takes Stella a moment to choose: the green one would make any woman resemble a wild field full of weeds, while the dress sewn by hand is sure to turn Flora into a beautiful garden rose. She exchanges a look with Musa and Tecna, who also voice out their preference for the pink gown.

“I guess this one won, then,” Flora smiles and sets the green one aside to put the chosen one on. “My mother would be delighted if she knew you picked it over the other.”

“You look stunning! Anybody would think you’re the princess of Linphea,” Stella adds, happy to see Flora blushing in delight. “Now there’s only Bloom left, right? I’ll go see what’s taking her so long.”

Stella leaves the girls waiting in the sitting room, getting their outfits, hair, and makeup ready for the dance. When she reaches the bedroom Bloom shares with Flora, she finds her friend curled into a ball on her bed and no dress or outfit in sight.

“Bloom,” she gently sits on the bed beside her and places her hand on her back. “Are you alright?”

“I don’t know,” a quiet sob follows her answer. “I don’t have anything to wear for tonight, and I can’t dance so even if I go, I’ll end up hiding in some corner or even worse, making a fool out of myself on the dance floor. It’s happened before, back when I went to high school in Gardenia, and...”

“So what?” Stella says in her most gentle, soothing voice. “You’re not alone, you’re going with us. I may know how to dance but sometimes I feel stupid when I talk to other girls or try to flirt with boys, but it doesn’t matter because no one’s opinion matters to me more than my own, period. You’re going with me to the ball and you’re going to shine, and there’s no changing my mind. Now come, let’s take a look at my clothes and see if something catches your eye.”

Bloom lets herself be dragged to Stella’s bedroom, and she watches in silence as Stella browses once again through her extensive wardrobe. They set aside a whole mountain of dresses formal enough for the homecoming ball, but even though Bloom tries on every single one of them she remains downcast and unsure of what to wear. Stella gives the last turquoise gown a thoughtful once-over, still unsure of why her redheaded friend has set it aside.

“I’m really sorry, Stell, but I don’t think I can pull any of these off...” Bloom trails off, and sits on the floor, even more miserable than before they started. “My skin is way too pale for me to show so much of it, and some of these colors are gorgeous but they clash horribly with my stupid hair and I’m sorry but I’m rambling again... I guess I’ll wear that blue dress I brought: I wore it to a party once and Andy said it looked good on me, but now I’m not so sure about that because everyone here dresses different from Earth and I don’t know what to do!”

She buries her face between her knees and Stella doesn’t know what to do. She wants to sit beside her and help her see just how beautiful and unique she is; but actions speak louder than words and if she were her, she’d prefer an actual solution to her problem, thank you very much. She doesn’t say a word but kneels next to Bloom instead, gathering all of the discarded dresses while begging for an answer to come, even if it were to fall without any warning and hit her in the head.

“Great,” Bloom huffs, rubbing her eyes as if to check they’re as puffy and swollen as she thinks they must be. “Now I’m ugly crying right before the ball starts. If I do go, I’ll look like a clown.”

“Costumes!” Stella exclaims, startling her friend when she lets all her clothes fall unceremoniously to the floor. “Why hadn’t I thought of it earlier? B, that’s it!”

In her excitement, she grabs Bloom’s shoulders and shakes her back and forth, ignoring her confused look. Before she can ask what’s going on, Stella keeps talking.

“There’s a storage room full of costumes down in the basement. I visited it last year to do research for a project about fashion through the ages for my History of Magic class... Trust me, I’m sure there’ll be more than one dress perfect for you; though probably everything we find will need a few touch-ups to make it more up-to-date.”

Bloom’s azure eyes brighten and Stella finally lets herself smile, victorious. She ought to be known as a true wish-granting fairy rather than a troublesome princess, but it’s not like there’s anyone she can go to and complain about it. She takes Bloom’s hand and spins her around, at last earning a carefree laugh from her: a feat that seemed impossible merely seconds ago.

“Thank you so much, Stella,” Bloom says as she manages to stop twirling, though still a bit unsteady on her feet. “Can you take me there? I was hoping you’d help me choose, I mean, because out of us you’re the fashion expert and knowing me, I may come out empty-handed yet again...”

“Leave it to me,” Stella turns serious when she sees what time is it on the screen of her comm. “But we need to go now. We’ll have to come back right after to get our hair and makeup done quickly... or else we won’t get to the ballroom on time.”

Bloom nods and follows her out of the bedroom and into the hallway, where they almost bump right into Flora. She’s already ready for the ball, dressed in the gown they helped her pick before, and with her hair styled: even though she’s kept it loose, she now also has two tiny buns on top of her head.

“Where are you going?” Flora asks, puzzled. “There’s barely an hour left, and Griselda insisted we must be there ahead of time...”

“We have to find a dress for Bloom,” Stella exclaims. “But we'll be back before you know it!”

Before Flora or anyone else can stop them, they sprint down the hallways and take the main staircase to reach the lower levels of the castle. Stella feels like she’s being swallowed whole by Alfea itself as if she were nothing but a tiny bug trying (and failing) to learn her way around its twists and turns, its downward spirals, and its dead ends. But she does remember after all because they reach the exact same door she had been looking for.

“We’re here,” Stella says after catching her breath. “Shall we?”

Bloom nods and takes the lead. When she pushes the door open, the whole room lights up, now aware of their presence. Before them, there are countless glass frames with dresses inside, all of them gorgeous and unique and taken right out of Stella’s dreams.

“They’re even more beautiful than I remember,” Stella sighs. “I kind of want to take them all with me. Please tell me I can’t do it. Please.”

“You absolutely cannot,” Bloom replies in her best imitation of Griselda’s scolding tone, causing Stella to laugh to her heart’s content. “You’re right, but aren’t they a bit too much? I’ve never seen this many laces and ruffles together in my entire life…”

“These are the more old-fashioned ones. We need to browse through them to find the more recent ones.”

It doesn’t take them long to move on to near-perfect dresses that Stella falls in love with as soon as she sets her eyes on them. Bloom discards a dazzling orange dress with an elaborate beaded bodice, deeming it too flashy for her, and Stella can barely stop herself from whining. But then she takes out a black one that’s way too simple for a formal ball such as this one, and a wordless shake of her head is enough to convince Bloom to set it aside and carry on with the search. A short while later, they share a knowing smile: they’ve found it.

Stella takes the light blue dress out of its glass frame with care, relishing the tingle of its magic as its brushes against her fingers. She hands it to Bloom, who looks at her with a slightly fearful expression.

“I can’t do it, Stella. You saw what happened in Wizgiz’s class. Magic doesn’t come to me no matter how hard I try, not since back when we first met.”

Stella can only shudder when she remembers Bloom’s fruitless attempts to change her hair color and complete Professor Wizgiz’s assignment. She had no problems to do it herself, but the lime-green hue she chose to try on made her otherwise luscious honey blonde hair resemble the type of sour candy she hated when she was little.

“Hear me out,” Stella says, guiding Bloom towards the long mirror hanging from one of the stone walls. “You only have to picture yourself with the dress on. Imagine not only how it’ll look on your body but also some tiny details: like the feeling of its fabric on your skin, the length it’ll reach, or how it’ll wrap around your hips. Come on, try it.”

Bloom obeys, still unsure; she holds the dress in her hands and concentrates. Moments later, she stands before the mirror with her eyes closed. Her top and jeans are nowhere to be seen, having been replaced by the shiny outfit she’s picked out with Stella’s approval.

“Look at you,” Stella smiles and she opens her eyes. “Bloom of Earth, the belle of the ball. I must say, not even I could’ve pulled this outfit off as effortlessly as you have.”

“Stop exaggerating,” Bloom giggles and turns around, taking in her whole reflection. “Don’t you think it’s too loose-fitting, though? Maybe if it were one or two sizes smaller, it’d fit me better…”

The dress reacts just like Stella knew it would, shrinking accordingly to accommodate Bloom’s request before she can even finish voicing out her complaint. With a gasp, the redheaded girl rushes to get closer to the mirror, as if she needed to have a more thorough look to prove she didn’t imagine what happened.

“Of course it’s a magical dress,” Bloom sighs, “like everything else in the magical dimension. Still, you could’ve said something sooner!”

“Now where’s the fun in that? Anyway, it’d look much better if it stopped at your mid-thighs. Knee-length is so not a good look on, well, anybody. Also, why don’t you try adding cuffs to it?”

Bloom voices her suggestions out loud and the dress works it magic, adjusting itself to become more of a designer dress and less of a school costume. Stella grins at the irony: only she could help her friend find such an impressive dress for free not so long after paying an absurd amount of credits for the purple gown she bought just for tonight’s ball. Oh, well, it’s not like she can do anything about it now.

“It’s perfect...” Bloom beams, still mesmerized by this new, more glamorous version of herself. “This is the most beautiful dress I’ve ever had. I should take it off so as not to mess it up; but after the dance ends, I’ll come to put it back.”

“Yes, that’s great and all,” Stella opens the door and ushers Bloom to follow. “But it’s getting late and we should head back. We still have to get ready, and the others might still be waiting for us upstairs…”

But as soon as they step out of the room, a loud and gruff voice makes its way to them from the nearest corner of the corridor.

“Come on, boys! We don’t have all day, and the chests need to be in the ballroom by the time the dance begins. Stop the chit-chatter and get to work!”

Stella freezes: even though she’s only heard him speak a few times before, she’d recognize Codatorta’s no-nonsense tone anywhere. Before Bloom can say or do anything that might get them discovered, she grabs her hand and pulls her inside the nearest door, without even trying to read the sign hanging next to it. They lean side by side with their backs against the now-closed door, panting, but what they hear then makes them exchange a panicked look.

“Did you hear that?” Stella curses inwardly when she hears Sky’s voice: they must’ve heard the slight thump the door made when it closed after them. “Sir, should we go check it out?”

“Go ahead, though it’s probably nothing,” Codatorta answers. “There are tunnels in this basement that are almost as old as Magix itself. Who knows, there might be all sorts of unsavory creatures living in them…”

“Then it’s worth taking a look,” Brandon says, and Stella rolls her eyes. Why are they here of all places?

“We need to hide,” Bloom whispers. “Or else they’ll find us.”

“And we can’t be found here: I can’t get in trouble again this soon,” Stella mutters. “Let’s move then.”

Before them, a seemingly endless maze begins, and it’s only then that Stella recalls hearing some older Alfea students talk about this magical labyrinth hidden under the castle; an unbelievable story that she was quick to dismiss as nothing more than a baseless urban legend. But the headache-inducing puzzle she’s seeing now is real, and she can only sigh as she ponders which path should they pick out of many ones available to them.

“Stell, wait,” Bloom grabs her wrist when she takes a step forward. “We have to be careful: if we don’t mark the way back to the exit somehow, we could stay trapped here forever.”

“But how?” Stella furrows her brow as the men’s heavy footsteps approach the door. “If we do anything overly visible, they’ll notice.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Bloom manages to muster a tense smile. “Well, I borrowed it from the myth of the Minotaur, but I don’t think anyone will care. If we take out a thread from the dress and unravel it, we’d simply have to follow it back here later.”

“Great,” Stella smiles. “But don’t forget to change it to a more neutral color, or else it’ll stand out.”

Bloom asks the dress to change from a light-blue tone into a brown one that blends perfectly with the rocky walls of the tunnels making up the maze. Together, Stella and Bloom head down one of the paths, desperate to get away before the Red Fountain instructor or his students see them.

“There are lots of doors around here,” Stella remarks when she considers they’re far too deep inside the labyrinth for anyone else to hear her. “Maybe there’s a chance one of them leads back to the castle…”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Bloom mutters. “But there’s no harm in trying, I guess.”

She approaches one of the doors carved in the tunnel, but when she touches its handle, it vanishes into thin air. Stella sighs, annoyed: the maze is getting to her nerves, and they haven’t even been inside it that long. But they keep trying, stumbling upon more fake exits and doors that lead into vast nothingness or to another different part of the labyrinth. When they find themselves walking into a dead-end, seeing as the tunnel ends in a steep cliff under which there’s only darkness, Stella hears a groan behind her.

“Ugh,” Bloom grabs her head and stumbles, managing to hold onto a nearby stalagmite before falling.

“Are you alright?” Stella rushes to her side and slides her arm around her waist to help her stand back up. “What is it?”

“I—I can’t,” she mumbles. “There’s something ahead. Something dangerous… something evil.”

Stella suddenly becomes aware of it, too. Every fiber in her body is yelling, telling her to run away, go back, flee as fast as she can. There’s a presence near them that she can’t define, but it exudes wave after wave of negative energy, crude and putrid and nauseating. Her knees weaken but she goes on, letting Bloom keep holding on to her while she follows the dress’s thread back the way they came. Avoiding the Specialists has taken a back seat; they need to escape from that someone or something before it can get to them. As if on cue, whatever’s at the bottom of that precipice lets out a low hiss that sends shivers down Stella’s spine, and she quickens her pace.

“What was that?” Bloom asks, her voice faint and weak. “There was something there—”

“I don’t know,” Stella replies, looking at her friend thoroughly to see if she’s ready to walk on her own again without her help. “Come on, they must’ve already gone back. I’m sure they were in the basement to grab the trunks full of gifts and take them to the dance.”

“Gifts?” Bloom tilts her head, looking lost.

“The ones Faragonda told us this morning the Red Fountain guests would give us, remember?” Stella comes to a halt when she notices a tall green door, just like the one they came through in the first place. “At last, we’re here!”

“Stell, wait,” Bloom exclaims, but before she can stop her, Stella opens the door, only to hear someone whining not too far away from them.

“I’m sick of these tunnels! The floor is dirty and slippery, and I’m—”

Stella’s eyes widen: the Trix are walking up towards the doorway she’s standing in, too busy arguing among themselves to look ahead and notice her presence. Before Stormy can finish her complaining, Icy throws her a murderous look.

“Of course they are, sister,” she says, her voice as chilly and screechy as Stella remembers it. “All the subterranean passages connecting the three schools haven’t been in use for the past century or so… But don’t you think the trip’s worth it? Think about how those little fairies’ faces will twist in fear when their beloved heroes’ gifts turn out to be snake rat eggs!”

Stella takes a step backward, cringing. If ghouls are the dumbest creatures in the magical dimension, snake rats are by far one of the most disgusting ones. Wrong move: the witches interrupt their loud laughter and look in her direction. Their faces change into unpleasant smirks when they see both her and Bloom so close to them.

“What do we have here?” Icy leads her sisters towards them. “You little pixies always stick your noses where they don’t belong… and it’s time you pay for it!”

“Run!” Bloom grabs Stella from behind and closes the door right in the Trix’s faces.

Stifling a chuckle as she remembers the witches’ outraged expressions, Stella runs after Bloom, who’s following the thread of her dress back to the real exit of the labyrinth. It’s only after a while that they stop hearing the witches arguing loudly among themselves, something Stella takes as a sign that they’ve managed to shake them off their trail.

“Finally,” she traces the thread back to the door leading to the hallway in which the stairs begin or end, depending on one’s perspective. “We made it out.”

“And it looks like the witches will remain stuck in there for quite some time,” Bloom smiles with glee. “Serves them right.”

“Forget about them!” Stella yells as she begins to climb the stairs several steps at a time. “We still have to return to the dorm, dress up, and get down to the ballroom on time!”

“But what about the gifts?” Bloom asks when they reach the floor where their rooms are. “You heard the Trix: these serpent rats they spoke about will wreak havoc in the dance hall unless we change them back before they begin handing them over!”

Too exhausted by their nonstop running to reply right away, Stella barges into her bedroom and changes into her purple dress and a pair of silver sandals in the blink of an eye. When she walks into Bloom’s room, she’s bending over her bedside table, holding a small piece of paper.

“Flora left us a note,” Bloom says, having heard Stella’s footsteps. “She’s already downstairs with Musa and Tecna.”

“Then let’s get there too,” Stella replies, tapping the ball of thread Bloom has left on her bed, prompting it to turn back into the light blue dress from before. “The boys took the chests to the ballroom long ago. We can only hope to get there on time before they hand them over and, well, the snake rats break loose.”

Bloom nods and after a few tries, manages to change into her dress with a spell. She begins to tame her wild red hair into an acceptable hairdo, while Stella puts on her makeup as quickly as she can. Together they rush through Alfea’s corridors for the umpteenth time in a single afternoon. Judging from the lack of students they encounter on their way to the ballroom, Stella’s sure all of them must be already there. She sighs: there’s a difference between being fashionably late and causing a scene, and seeing as they’re trying to stop the gift exchange from happening, it seems likely they’ll go for the second option.

When Bloom and Stella open the doors and reach the top of the ballroom’s staircase, they spot several Red Fountain students opening up the trunks, ready to begin handing the glistening golden eggs inside to the unsuspecting Alfea fairies gathering around them. Among them are Musa, Flora, and Tecna, who seem to be searching the crowd for them both. Bloom gazes into Stella’s eyes, more confident than she’s ever seen her before.

“There’s no time. We have to do something, now!”

“Do you trust me?” she asks, taking her hand in hers, and Bloom nods without thinking twice about it. “Then believe me when I say we can do this, together. Repeat after me: ‘May our will change reality itself. Whatever the eggs have become, may we transform them into what they once were.’”

As soon as the last words of the incantation come out of their mouths, a small ray of sunshine is born from their entwined hands. It flies to the ceiling and then bathes the trunks full of presents, to the surprise and amazement of everyone present. Many of them follow it with their eyes to the staircase on top of which Bloom and Stella still stand.

“They’re all looking at us,” Bloom whispers, nervous.

“Let them watch, then,” Stella smirks. “Brandon is there, next to Prince Sky; do you see him? I’m sure he’s only thinking about how to ask you to dance.”

“But I don’t know how,” Bloom counters. “We talked about practicing together, but nothing ever came out of it and tonight all these crazy things happened. I can’t dance with Brandon or anyone else, for that matter.”

“I did promise to practice the waltz with you,” Stella observes, trying to avoid Sky’s gaze, “though we never said when or where.”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Bloom smiles, more amused than surprised.

“Let’s dance,” Stella says, leading her down the stairs and into the glistening ballroom, right as the music comes out of the speakers Musa helped install, starting the evening with a traditional piece.

They walk up to the dance floor, where only a handful of couples stand ready to begin dancing. Brandon stands nearby, glancing at them as he opens a chest with Red Fountain’s emblem on it, full of golden eggs that shine under the sparkly ceiling Stella herself lit up not so long ago. Sky, being the charming prince Stella knows him to be, is already swarmed by girls who want him to be the one to hand them their presents; but just like she predicted, he can’t take her eyes off her. Riven and Timmy are also busy with more chests, though they’ve also noticed Stella and Bloom’s arrival since they stick out like a sore thumb, being the only first-year girls on the dance floor among couples made up of boys and girls older than them.

“I’m warning you, everything I know about formal dances like this comes from period films and cheesy romance books,” Bloom grins and makes a clumsy bow that’d surely horrify Stella’s etiquette teacher back in her palace. “May I have this dance, Princess Stella of Solaria?”

“It’d be my pleasure, Lady Bloom of Earth,” Stella giggles too: she’d never have thought protocol could be this funny in the right context, and even more so in the right company. “Follow my lead.”

She takes Bloom’s hand and places the other one on her shoulder. Her friend smiles and holds her waist, the only possible arrangement since the redhead is taller than she is. They sway with the first notes of a slow yet dreamy waltz and together, they dance.

“The first dance indicates a slight interest,” Stella whispers only for Bloom to hear. “That’s why I was telling you that Brandon wanted to ask you for a dance.”

“I’m still not sure if he interests me,” Bloom says, deep in thought. “But you, on the other hand... Ever since I saw you for the first time and your light magic made you shine as if you were the Sun itself, my interest was yours.”

“You flatter me,” Stella smiles. “And you know how much I love that.”

“You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, Stella,” Bloom says, moments before the waltz comes to an end and they thank each other with a small curtsy.

“I can say the same for you, Bloom...” she trails off, while Bloom lights up when she hears her words.

They’re interrupted by Sky and Brandon, both holding a golden egg meant for them. The girls exchange a knowing glance and accept their gifts. When they open them, the eggs let out a stream of fluttering butterflies that swarm the room with the colors of the rainbow.

“So beautiful…” Bloom says, thanking Brandon with a genuine smile.

“Thank you, Sky,” Stella leans on to him, playful. “Oh, there they are! Musa, Tecna, Flora, over here!”

“Are they your friends? You sure work fast,” the prince smirks.

“You know me, social butterfly extraordinaire,” Stella says as she rushes to meet her friends, moments before Riven and Timmy also show up to join them. Just like back in Gardenia, she’s the one in charge of the introductions, though this time she’s lucky enough to have Bloom by her side to help her.

“Your voice sounds familiar,” Tecna bluntly examines Timmy, her brows furrowed together. “Have we met before?”

“I think so,” he replies, adjusting his glasses. “Didn’t you take part in last year’s interdimensional FPS tournament and qualify for the semi-finals? I did too, though I only got to the preliminary round…”

“I knew you were also a gamer!” Tecna exclaims, seemingly glad to have met a kindred spirit.

Stella can only grin, happy to see they’ve hit it off. Musa leaves to sing her solo and everyone gets ready to dance, hence why Sky dips into a curtsy and kisses the back of her hand in what might as well be his most sleek move yet.

“Princess, it seems like the honor of being the first one to dance with you has been taken from me,” he laughs. “But I must say I’d be happy to do so now.”

Musa begins to sing as Stella nods and lets Sky take the lead. Next to her, Bloom dances in Brandon’s arms, while Flora has somehow managed to convince Riven to pair up with her, seeing as he was adamant about not dancing for the entire evening. Taking her eyes off the most unlikely pair she’s seen so far, Stella looks past Tecna and Timmy and exchanges a knowing glance with her best friend.

Thanks to their many adventures together, this night is one neither Bloom nor Stella will ever forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a tough one! I wanted to include many things but wasn't sure of how to mix them all together, so I ended up rewriting it from scratch several times. Still, it was fun to write so many scenes of Stella and Bloom bonding! Instead of being based on the third episode of the series, I chose to follow the comics' storyline more closely (issue #2). If you haven't read them before, I recommend them a lot! You can find them all translated on Tumblr.
> 
> Next chapter's summary:
> 
> _Stella's not happy at all with Professor Palladium's first assignment, an orientation exercise that takes the Winx and their classmates to the Black Mud Swamp. To make matters worse, a fishy hovercraft accident leaves the Specialists stranded in the bogs with them and the same hunting troll that attacked both her and Bloom back in Gardenia on the loose. Now, if only Stella could find it and use it to prove who's out to get both her and her ring of Solaria..._


	7. The uncharted swamps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella's not happy at all with Professor Palladium's first assignment, an orientation exercise that takes the Winx and their classmates to the Black Mud Swamp. To make matters worse, a fishy hovercraft accident leaves the Specialists stranded in the bogs with them and the same hunting troll that attacked both her and Bloom back in Gardenia on the loose. Now, if only Stella could find it and use it to prove who's out to get both her and her ring of Solaria...

Stella had hoped that Palladium’s class had improved from one year to the next, but she had clearly been asking for too much. Last year’s many lessons inside the potions lab were bad enough, as everyone keeps reminding her, but an orientation assignment in the middle of the Black Mud swamp? It’s simply torturous. 

“Are we really doing this?” she squeaks, tilting her beige hat ever so slightly to keep her bangs from falling all over her eyes. 

“Shush, Stella,” Musa turns around to look at her. “If we don’t listen to Professor Palladium’s instructions, we’ll fail the exercise.” 

Thinking about the mere possibility of failing is enough to make Flora tremble. Stella sighs but remains silent, unwilling to start an argument, and waits for the professor to continue explaining. But before he can, Amaryl begins scratching her thigh as if she had a severe case of rabies. 

“Professor!” she whines, while her group of cronies giggle like children. “A mosquito bit me!” 

“Miss Amaryl, we are in a swamp,” Palladium says, patient as always. “I’m afraid a mosquito bite is not a cause for concern, much less something extraordinary.” 

“But look where it bit me,” her eyes gleam mischievously before she pulls her shorts up to show her upper thigh. 

The professor’s face turns beet red, and his embarrassed answer comes out as nothing more than unintelligible gibberish. Stella rolls her eyes, unsure of whether Palladium’s naiveté annoys her more than Amaryl’s obnoxiousness, but next to her Bloom seems to pity their teacher. 

“I feel bad for Professor Palladium,” she says. “The girls shouldn’t give him such a hard time.” 

“He only has himself to blame,” Stella retorts. “If he instilled more respect, they wouldn’t be so unruly in his classes.” 

“The purpose of this task is for you to learn how to listen to the voice of nature. As fairies, you share a special connection with the environment that can prove itself to be very useful in a wide arrange of situations. But for that to happen you need to pay attention to your surroundings, hence why using magic is strictly forbidden,” Palladium only smiles as the class groans. “Trust your instincts: they’ll be the ones to guide you towards the meeting point. I’ll be waiting for you at the eastern shore of Lake Rocalucce, but remember, you need to get there within the next three hours, or you won’t be given a passing grade.” 

Before Amaryl or anyone else can voice out any complaint, the professor disappears in a puff of smoke. While other students share unsure looks and cast panicked glances at the swamp surrounding them, Flora turns back to her friends and smiles, right in her element. 

“In the school maps, Lake Rocalucce is shown to be west of here,” she says. “Judging from the sun’s position, we should head that way.” 

“You heard our tour guide,” Musa jokes, following Flora’s pointed finger to a narrow path that ventures further into the bog. “Let’s go.” 

The girls leave their classmates behind and walk down the trail in silence, careful to avoid the many vines that hang from the trees and the thick roots coming out of the ground. It isn’t long before they are forced to stop: a small yet murky lake blocks their way, and crossing it seems to be their only choice if they want to go on their way. 

“Stand back, girls,” Tecna steps forward, all business. “A quick spell is just what we need.” 

She raises her hands to gather her magic and cast it at the gurgling water, but before she can, Bloom rushes to stop her. 

“Wait! You heard what Professor Palladium said: we can’t use our powers. We need to follow the voice of nature and use only our instincts.” 

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I can’t hear anything,” Stella huffs, crossing her arms. “And there’s no way I’m going through that pool of mud and get myself all messy and dirty.” 

“Stella, dear, you are so right!” Musa lets out a fake, overly dramatic sigh. “All this mud is so inconvenient...” 

Stella herself can’t help but laugh with the other Winx, even though it’s at her own expense, but she twitches in disgust as soon as she imagines how icky the mud will feel on her skin if they do end up walking through it.

“Please tell me we’re not going straight ahead,” she asks, now serious. “There has to be another way to get across. I don’t know, maybe a bridge or something. Even a trunk would be better...”

“It doesn’t look like it,” Tecna mumbles as she examines their surroundings, looking for other paths to take that avoid the small lake altogether.

Bloom brings her finger to her lips and they all go silent. Next to her, Flora has her eyes closed, and her concentrated expression suggests she’s trying to hear the voice of nature, just like their professor told them to do.

“Do you hear anything?” Stella asks, wondering if her friend has noticed something she hasn’t.

“No, but I do smell something strange,” Flora answers with a short sniff. “Don’t you?”

“Palladium told us to keep our ears open, not our nostrils,” Musa smirks. “Wait, you’re right!”

“This scent reminds me of some type of gas,” Tecna adds.

Bloom then picks up a short stick from the ground and throws it into the lake’s muddy surface, where it lands with a loud splash and pops some of the bubbles forming in the water. Tecna raises her eyebrows and turns to Bloom, as if she were about to ask her what was the point of what she just did. But before she can say anything, the bubbly, muddy water swallows the stick whole with a sickening sizzle, raising countless dark clouds that burn Stella’s lungs when she breathes. The girls quickly take cover behind the nearby bushes and watch as the bog clouds with smoke.

“Just a step in and we would’ve ended up fried, my friend,” Bloom says with a nervous laugh.

“We took too big of a risk, girls,” Flora sighs in relief, though she still looks worried.

“Especially you, Tecna,” Stella grins. “If we’d followed you across, I would’ve taken my clothes to the dry cleaners and then sent you the bill afterward.”

“I dodged a bullet there,” her friend smiles as the others chuckle, “because nothing you own can be cheap.”

Stella nods, proud of her wardrobe: fashion is her passion, after all, and she’s even gone as far as to wear a brand-new adventurer’s outfit just for the occasion, despite wishing they’d never had to visit the swamp to begin with. Wanting to get out of there as soon as possible, she asks the same thing that all of them are surely wondering:

“Now what? Which way do we go?”

“Good question,” Flora answers. “Maybe we should look circle around the lake, even if it leads us further into the wilds…”

Bloom agrees and takes the lead, and all of them follow her across the bushes, leaving the dangers of the bog aside. Stella soon falls behind, battling against dozens of pesky mosquitoes that won’t leave her alone, and she forces herself to bite back any complaints for the sole reason that she doesn’t want to whine like Amaryl did earlier. When she manages to slap one right before it bites her, a loud sound makes her look up at the sky, reminding her of the astonishing meteor showers that she used to watch with her parents in Solaria every summer.

But the large, crimson and all-too-familiar lump of metal in the sky isn’t a shooting star at all.

“Look!” Bloom points her finger at the falling spaceship. “A Red Fountain aircraft!”

“Let’s go see!” Stella runs to catch up with her, her loose hair flowing with the wind.

“They may need help,” Bloom nods, frowning, seemingly preparing for the worst as well.

Together, they follow the aircraft’s trajectory to a wide clearing further ahead of them. Stella was expecting it to crash horribly, but somehow, the only visible damage to its exterior is a large hole on its metallic surface. When the main door opens, the Specialists come out, visibly shaken by their messy landing.

“Are you guys okay?” Flora asks as soon as she sees the boys.

“Isn’t it rather obvious?” Riven scoffs, smirking as if they had landed safely instead of escaping unscathed from what could’ve been a serious accident.

Stella brushes his rude reply aside, even though Flora’s honest concerns were undeserving of it; but she turns around, unsure of whether the usually outspoken Musa will let it slide. But her friend is frozen in place, her eyes locked with Riven’s as if she were seeing him for the very first time when Stella knows for a fact that she introduced them briefly right after Musa finished singing in the ball. To her chagrin, Riven also gives her an intense look, appraising her, and Stella can only hope this won’t turn into a meet-cute of sorts. Before she can convince her friend that she deserves so much better, Sky answers Flora with a tense smile.

“We’re all safe and sound, girls. There’s no need to worry,” he turns around to examine the ship and turns pale in a matter of seconds. “Wait, don’t tell me the holding cell took the brunt of the impact…”

“Looks like it,” Timmy holds his glasses in place and approaches the hole to take a closer look.

“Please tell me the troll’s still there,” Brandon looks closer to panicking than Stella ever thought she’ll see him, even more so when a frantic Timmy turns around and confirms his suspicions.

“It’s gone!”

“A troll?” Bloom looks from Timmy to the rest of the boys, searching for answers. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”

Stella finds herself falling back to her nasty habit of biting her fingernails, suddenly overcome with a growing sense of foreboding. The only time she met a hunting troll face to face, it was back in Gardenia less than a week ago, and that encounter was enough to convince her that she doesn’t want to go through the same experience anytime soon. Bloom must think the same because she shares a frightened look with Stella.

“Let me get this straight,” Tecna grits her teeth, and it’s the first time Stella has seen her annoyed for real. “You’re telling me you were transporting a troll and you let him escape?”

“We didn’t let him escape,” Riven barks. “There was an accident. We lost altitude and then—”

“A mechanical failure caused us to crash!” Timmy interrupts, ignoring Riven’s dirty looks.

“Anyway, there’s nothing to worry about,” he huffs. “He’s handcuffed.”

“About that…” Sky trails off as an enormous pair of energy cuffs float down a nearby stream of water. “I don’t think that’s the case anymore.”

“Oh, great,” Stella groans, exchanging an exasperated look with her friends. “Care to explain why that troll was there and where were you planning to take him?”

“It was the troll that attacked both you and Bloom on Earth,” the prince says. “Codatorta told us to take it to Magix’s city council so that they could read its memories and find out the reason why it appeared there. Looks like it’ll be easier said than done.”

Bloom stifles a gasp, and Stella shares her worries, remembering just how much destruction the troll caused in the Peters’ home before the boys arrived to help them subdue it. Tecna remains unimpressed with the boys’ inability to prevent the troll’s escape, while Musa stays silent. Flora walks up to a set of gigantic footprints that can only belong to the monster.

“Trolls aren’t native to these swamps,” she kneels next to them to take a closer look. “Now that it’s loose, it can cause immeasurable damage to the ecosystem.”

“By the way, what are you girls doing around here?” Brandon asks, and Bloom’s cheeks redden when she notices his eyes on her.

“We’re in the middle of an assignment.”

“Then get back to it and stop worrying about this,” Riven smirks. “Leave it to the Specialists!”

That’s it: Stella’s officially pissed. She plasters on her best smile for him to see and walks up to him, sure that her sweet demeanor has him completely fooled.

“The Specialists are going to get here?” she takes a thorough look around. “When?”

“We’re right here, you stupid little—”

“Woah, let’s stop right there,” Sky gets between Riven and Stella as they glare at each other as a rabid dog and a sharp-clawed cat would. “What Riven means is that perhaps it would be best for you to go back to Alfea while we recapture the beast.”

Stella seethes at Riven’s unspoken insult: she knows what he was about to say was nothing pretty. If Sky weren’t trying to prevent their argument from escalating, she’d have loved to insult him back, of course picking first on that empty pineapple-head of his.

“We don’t need your editorial comments while we do our job, princess,” Riven scoffs.

“And we don’t need to be told what to do,” Bloom places her hand on Stella’s shoulder and faces the boys. “We’ll move on with our assignment, and if we do encounter the troll, we’ll take care of it ourselves.”

“Don’t say we didn’t warn you,” Riven shrugs and beckons the others to follow him. “Come on, guys, let’s get to work. We’ve got a troll to recapture.”

And with that, all four of them turn their backs on the girls to follow the trail of footsteps Flora discovered earlier, the ones the troll must have left behind. The Winx stay behind in the clearing as they disappear into the swamp.

“Now what do we do?” Bloom asks, breaking the somewhat-awkward silence.

“Maybe we should go with the guys and try to find the troll,” Stella suggests, tucking a few strands of her hair behind her ear with a sly smile. “Something tells me they’re going to need our help.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Flora replies. “We should focus on completing our assignment.”

“But Bloom and I told you what that wild beast is capable of,” Stella counters. “Sky and the others could end up in a whole lot of trouble.”

“I’m inclined to agree,” Tecna heads to the fallen ship and points to the most damaged part of it. “Did you notice the hole in the fuselage? This aircraft was hit mid-air. Something strange is going on here…”

“Looks like this wasn’t an accident after all,” Flora says. “Maybe someone helped the troll in its escape!”

“I’m afraid you’re right,” Tecna fumbles with some of the wires spilling out of the ship’s hole. “The impact knocked out the stabilizer: no matter how skilled the pilot was, it was bound to crash sooner than later.”

“I’m guessing the one responsible of that must’ve dealt with the cuffs too,” Musa grabs said cuffs and dangles them for the other girls to come closer and examine them.

“Wait, those were designed in Zenith,” Tecna observes. “We call it a psychic lock. It’s said to be impossible to crack—but someone skilled in telekinesis might’ve been able to do it.”

“So someone else is definitely behind this,” Bloom says. “We’d better keep our eyes open; also, who knows what other surprises the swamp has in store for us…”

“Finding the troll doesn’t seem to be such an easy task now,” Tecna sighs.

“Glad its feet are the size of an ocean liner,” Stella chuckles. “Shouldn’t we follow its footsteps then?”

But it doesn’t take long for the trail to fade, seeing as the mud has hardened due to the shadows of the trees that surround the clearing. Flora tries to look for clues that might shed some light on which direction it went, but nothing comes up.

“It could be anywhere by now,” she stands back up and bites her lip, unsure of what path to take.

“This silence is eerie...” Musa crosses her arms and shudders. “The swamp absorbs every sound.”

“But it can also be a good thing,” Bloom smiles. “The silence helps us focus!”

“That way we can listen to the voice of nature,” Flora nods in agreement.

“Not that again,” Tecna raises her eyes to the sky, exasperated. “I can’t hear anything.”

“Well, it’s not like I’ve noticed anything yet,” Bloom heads further into the bog. “But let’s say I have a gut feeling that’s telling me this is the right path to take.”

“Seeing as there aren’t many other options…” Stella walks up to join her best friend. “Let’s go.”

Musa and Flora go along, while Tecna slumps her shoulders and concedes, defeated. Together, they keep moving forward. Stella can only hope that this area of the swamp isn’t as infested with mosquitoes as the one they’ve left behind. She almost bumps into Flora’s back when she comes to a sudden halt, and she curses her hat inwardly for falling all the time over her eyes.

“Don’t make any voice,” her friend whispers with caution. “I recognize these plants. Their kind hate noise and even sounds that aren’t too loud to our ears can disturb them.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Stella laughs and lets out a loud whistle. “See? Nothing’s happened.”

Something thin wraps around her ankles and hangs her upside down. Her hat falls to the ground, her hair gets in her face and she screams, scared that the plants might toss her or even worse, find her appetizing enough to eat her. Bloom rushes to her and shushes her.

“Don’t move!”

Flora calms down the plants and they release Stella, who falls right into yet another dirty puddle. She lets out a small cough and throws the retreating vines a murderous look.

“Will you keep your mouth shut from now on?” Flora asks, exasperated.

“HELP!” someone yells from not so far away, right on cue. “Please!”

Sure enough, the girls head straight ahead and find Timmy still screaming. The plants have him and the other boys thoroughly restrained, and their fidgeting seems to be only strengthening the vines’ hold.

“Ah, there you are,” Stella whispers, having learned her lesson, even though she’s slightly glad not to be the only one to fall prey to the swamp’s picky plant life.

“By all means, keep whispering,” Riven glares at them. “You wouldn’t want to upset these things’ digestive process, right? Ugh!”

Of course, the plants only tighten around his body, but he seems to stop himself from letting out any more cries of pain. Musa walks up to him and speaks in the lowest voice possible:

“Keep your voice down, will you?”

Flora sits on the muddy ground and touches some plum-colored vines with patience and care. Her touch and the kind words she whispers soothe them, convincing them to let the Specialists free. They join the girls and together, they walk away from the plants in silence so as not to endanger themselves again.

“I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again, Bloom,” Brandon whispers, unaware of Stella’s presence right behind her best friend.

Something in his tone annoys her: maybe it’s how he’s focused on Bloom’s small smile instead of watching where he’s going, or perhaps it’s the audacity he shows when he takes her hand as if they were alone. But it’s enough to make Stella clear her throat loudly, startling him.

“You don't have to talk in whispers anymore,” she says. “We’re out of danger.”

“I think we should all team up to look for the troll, now that we’re together,” Bloom suggests as she separates her hand from Brandon’s. “What do you guys think?”

“I refuse to team up with fairies,” Riven crosses his arms. “We’re more than enough for this job.”

“You’re on your own then, buddy,” Sky grins with a carefree shrug. “If you happen to find the troll, just give us a shout.”

Riven huffs but stays put, apparently reluctant to leave by himself. As if he knew that was going to happen, the prince shares a complicit smile with Stella and leads them forward, until yet another obstacle stops the group in their tracks. This time, a narrow but deep stream stands between them and the path they want to follow. Sky, being the one on the lead, jumps onto a small slab of earth that wiggles under his weight. When Timmy tries to do the same, he slips and falls into the water. Sky rushes to hold him by his shoulders before he can sink any deeper while Riven, despite being as close to him as the prince is, chooses to stand still and scoff at his efforts.

“Great,” he snickers. “Not only do we have to protect the fairies, but also watch over Timmy.”

“Who says we need your protection?” Stella snaps. “You should look for girls who can put up with your temper, Riven, because we sure can’t.”

“Yet you’ll come begging for help as soon as the troll finds you,” he claps back.

“At least I wasn’t the one who allowed it to escape!”

Stella knows it’s a low blow, but at this point, she’s convinced that Riven has had it coming ever since the aircraft crash. He seems ready to spit a comeback, but Brandon places his hand over his shoulder and forces him to meet his eyes, calming him down if only for a mere moment.

“Riven,” Brandon warns. “Stop before you go too far…”

“Shut up, Brandon,” he narrows his eyes and brushes his hand away. “You’re nothing more than Prince Sky’s lackey. Why don’t you go after him wagging your tail before trying to lecture me?”

“You’re insulting me,” Brandon’s expression turns somber.

“So? What are you gonna do about it?”

“That’s enough,” Sky says, slightly raising his voice. “Keep this up, Riven, and you’ll be off the team. Is that clear?”

“Alright, got it,” Riven backs down, having felt the weight of everyone’s glares. “Let’s look for the troll now.”

Stella jumps on one of the clumps and follows the others as they make their way across. Just as she’s about to reach the other side, she stumbles, but Sky is ready and catches her in his arms.

“That was close,” he smiles, “but I’ve got you.”

“Oh,” she feels a warm tingle in her cheeks but refuses to look away from him. “Thanks, Sky.”

One of the slabs gives in and Riven falls into the river with a loud splash. Before the current can drag him any further, Tecna grabs his arm and pulls him to her, even though she’s in danger of losing balance herself.

“Hold on!” Tecna grits her teeth and strengthens her grip. “I hear a waterfall straight ahead!”

“Don’t let go of me!” Riven seems to be panicking, but he still holds on to Tecna's hand for dear life.

Timmy grabs Tecna’s waist just before the water drags her as well. Together, they pull Riven to safety and fall to the other side of the river, exhausted.

“I don’t want to be rude,” Timmy begins, “but wouldn’t it be easier for you girls to be transformed while crossing the swamp? Back there, your wings would’ve been a great help.”

“For this assignment, magic is forbidden,” Musa says. “We have to get to the eastern shore of the lake without using our powers.”

“Well, that sucks,” Sky helps Stella stand up like only a true gentleman (or prince) would.

“I guess no one was prepared for a troll to wreak havoc in the middle of nowhere,” Stella smiles.

A loud grunt startles them all, along with the unmistakable smell of a troll who remains unaware of the existence of soap and long, relaxing baths. Sky exchanges a look with Brandon and heads to the source of the noise, while Stella finds herself running after them with the other Winx.

“Look!” Bloom shouts as soon as a small hill comes into view. “That’s Amaryl!”

Sure enough, Amaryl and two of their classmates stand on top of the hill. The hunting troll, who looks even more menacing and disheveled than Stella remembered, is currently trying to climb the rocky slope that separates him from the unfortunate trio of fairies, who can only take a step back since the creature is blocking their only path down the small mount.

“We need to be quick,” Brandon says. “First, let’s distract the troll. Are you girls up to it?”

“Only if your plan also has a ‘phase two’,” Stella replies.

"Let’s do this, then. Brandon and Timmy will grab him so that Riven and I can put the handcuffs back on. Any complaints?” Sky asks, only to go on when no one speaks up. “Alright, off we go!”

Bloom walks towards the troll with Stella and the others following her.

“Hey, you! Remember us?”

The troll turns around and grunts loudly, so Stella guesses it does recognize them both from when he traced them in Gardenia. Having lost all interest in the other Alfea fairies, it jumps back to the ground and lunges for them. Stella grabs Bloom’s hand and they run away, just as the boys throw themselves over the creature to strong-arm it.

“Wait are you waiting for?” Brandon yells while he grabs the troll’s legs. “Cuff him, quick!”

“Easier said than done!” Riven tries to hold its arm still, but the monster sends him flying with a forceful kick in his chest.

“I—I can’t hold on,” Timmy lets go of its legs before Sky can close the handcuffs; the troll swings them both off him and escapes, running in the opposite direction and away from all those present.

“Great, we lost him again!” Brandon sighs and helps Timmy stand. “That didn’t go as planned…”

“And you guys are Specialists?” Amaryl makes her way down the slope with her friends in tow. “The only thing you specialize in is in incompetence!”

“That’s the thanks we get?” Sky asks, but Amaryl only giggles and leaves with her group.

“Ignore her,” Stella says. “She’s always like that with everyone.”

“I guess we have Riven,” the prince glares at him with barely masked anger. “He has an attitude just as bad and makes it impossible to work as a team, to boot.”

“Don’t you dare blame me for this, Sky,” Riven jumps to his feet and faces off against him.

“You were the one who had the handcuffs!”

“Who? Me!” Riven exclaims, bewildered.

“That’s enough,” Timmy separates them before their fight escalates. “At this rate, we’ll never be able to catch the troll! Come on, let’s follow his footsteps: the mud won’t stay fresh for long…”

An uncomfortable silence hangs between them all as they get further away from the hill to try and find the troll once again. Stella knows the creature isn’t exactly fast, but she wonders if it’ll be as difficult to find it as it was the first time. Time is running out, as Amaryl and her group proved when they ran earlier, and while her friends seem to also be worried about Palladium’s exercise, none of them seems about to leave the boys to their own devices. Bloom matches her pace and says:

“Do you think we’ll find it?”

“I sure hope so,” Stella rolls her eyes, exasperated. “I’m sick of this swamp already, I don’t want to fail our first field exercise and we need for that troll to be sent to Magix’s authorities. We need them to find out exactly who sent it after us to try and steal my scepter… though I have a feeling we’ve already met.”

“The Trix,” Bloom’s words are more of a statement than a question, but Stella nods in response. “Maybe they’re also the ones who helped it escape.”

“Who else?” Tecna says right behind them. “Trolls can’t cast the spell needed to force those cuffs open; out of all magical creatures, I’d say only witches could, and we all know by now that Darcy has psychic powers; how else could she have sensed Bloom's presence in the alley? Also, I don’t think many other Cloudtower witches would be that interested in the same hunting troll that attacked you two.”

“They’re dangerous,” Flora mumbles. “If so, we need to be careful. They could still be nearby.”

“About that,” Musa comes to a halt right next to Riven. “Is it me, or are there no more footsteps?”

“Maybe the troll’s ultrasonic weight loss plan finally paid off,” Stella laughs.

“Looks more like a flying spell to me,” Musa counters. “I don’t know about you, but I feel like there’s a lot of negative energy around here.”

Riven and Sky glare at each other, obviously blaming the other for losing the troll for good this time around, while Timmy’s shoulders slump in defeat. Tecna walks up to him and begins talking about her examination of the aircraft’s electronic system, while Flora asks the sentient plants near them for help to get to the eastern shore of the lake where Palladium must be waiting for them to arrive. Brandon walks away and Bloom follows him, only turning around to whisper to Stella:

“Wait for me, I’ll be back soon!”

“Oh, great,” Stella raises her eyes to the sky above, sick and tired of this whole ordeal, and rests her back on the trunk of a nearby tree. “Can someone please wake me up now?”

“Hey,” Sky approaches her as they watch Brandon and Bloom go. “Need some company?”

“Depends,” Stella answers with a lopsided smile. “Are you the one offering it?”

“Only because it’s you. Took them long enough,” he says, looking at their best friends. “I’ve been encouraging him to approach her ever since they first met.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Stella sighs. “Anyways, he’s too indecisive; I just hope he doesn’t end up misleading her.”

“Believe me, Brandon’s interested,” Sky smirks. “Though surely not as much as I’m in you, princess.”

Stella meets his hazelnut-colored eyes and lets out a small breath. They’ve been dancing around each other since their first meeting in Red Fountain, and she had begun resigning herself to only flirting and nothing else. But despite his casual words, the prince seems more serious than she’s ever seen him before, and she allows herself to muster a smile in turn. She feels like they're being watched, as if there was someone close by hearing their entire conversation; but she brushes it off and looks into his eyes.

“Interested in what?”

“A date, for start?” Sky bows before her and laughs. “Forgive my audacity, Your Highness.”

“Oh, stop it with the protocol. Haven’t we had enough of that?” Stella shoves him playfully.

“Are you two too busy to keep looking for the troll?” Riven scoffs from afar, just as Bloom and Brandon regroup with the others.

“Oh, just wait for a damn second, Riven,” Sky looks back to Stella. “So, we’ll be in touch?”

Stella nods, trying hard not to seem overly enthusiastic. She can’t wait to return to Alfea and call Nova with her comm to tell her all about it, just like she promised. Bloom gives her a curious look but doesn’t ask her anything; instead, they all keep walking towards the lake. Brandon says something to Sky in a low voice, which prompts the prince to catch up with Riven.

“Hey, Riven. We need to work together from now on if we want to succeed. What do you say?”

“It’s fine by me,” Riven shrugs and laughs. “It’s a truce, then.”

“I’d have preferred everlasting peace, but this is better than nothing,” Brandon says.

“It’s time you boys got along,” Stella sighs. “You’ve already been partners for a full year, after all.”

“They’ll never change…” Musa says with a chuckle.

* * *

By the time the sun sets, the Winx and the Specialists are still treading through the bog in silence, sore and exhausted. The gleaming surface of Lake Rocalucce welcomes them, as well as the stares of their teacher and the rest of their classmates.

“Um, girls? I think we’re here,” Flora squints, temporarily blinded by the sun’s warm glow as it hides behind the horizon. “That’s Professor Palladium over there.”

The girls rush to the shore, and the boys join them as soon as they recognize the bulky man who’s standing right next to Palladium: none other than Codatorta, their instructor. To Stella’s surprise, he seems to be in the middle of a casual chat with their potions teacher, both calm and collected as they go on with their conversation.

“Oh, at last,” Palladium greets them when he sees the Winx. “We’ve been waiting for you, ladies.”

“I understand your aircraft crashed, rookies,” Codatorta asks the boys, who shrink under his stare. “We were alerted by its sensors. Where’s the prisoner you were transporting?”

“It escaped, sir,” Sky replies, sheepish. “We weren’t able to secure it again.”

“Let’s take this back to the school,” Codatorta says, his face unreadable as he turns to Palladium. “Thanks for your cooperation, Professor.”

And with that, he beckons the boys to follow him back to Red Fountain. Stella deflates as soon as she sees him leave, glad that her fear of being scolded like last year was unfounded. Sky turns around and waves back at her, prompting Bloom to give her a gentle nudge with her elbow. Musa follows Riven as he leaves, and he unexpectedly looks back at her and smirks.

“What about the assignment, Professor?” Flora asks, downcast. “We didn’t make it on time.”

“You were the last ones to arrive,” Palladium agrees. “But I watched you closely, and I must say, I’m really satisfied with your performance. You passed the exercise, girls.”

“What?” Tecna and Musa ask, dumbfounded.

“You’ve shown courage, initiative, and generosity, as well as great decision-making capabilities,” their teacher explains. “Those are all necessary qualities for any fairy. Good job!”

Stella pulls Bloom and Flora into a victory hug, and they're soon joined by Musa and Tecna. Not even Amaryl’s complaints manage to dampen her enthusiasm: despite not having been able to find the troll and get to the bottom of the attack in Gardenia, she’s passed her first big assignment and secured a date with the boy of her dreams. This year, Stella’s sure she’s off to a great start. What could possibly go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took so long to finish... Sorry for the late update: I've been on holiday and catching up with real-life stuff, but I'll try to go back to my regular update schedule of 1-2 chapters per week! Nevertheless, I had fun writing this one. The girls' interactions with the Specialists as they begin to become friends always crack me up. Lots of dialogue too... Hope you also enjoyed reading it, and consider letting me know what you thought of it in the comments below!
> 
> p.d: Codatorta and Palladium's first appearance together. I don't know if anyone else ships them but I find them cute...
> 
> Next chapter's summary:
> 
> _Stella is overjoyed to receive an invitation from Prince Sky to have dinner together. She dresses for the occasion and leaves her friends busy at Alfea while she goes to Magix, but her date turns out to be an elaborate trap... Now Stella has to find a way to prevent the Winx, and especially Bloom, from getting hurt because of her stupid mistake._


	8. A date with disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella is overjoyed to receive an invitation from Prince Sky to have dinner together. She dresses for the occasion and leaves her friends busy at Alfea while she goes to Magix, but her date turns out to be an elaborate trap... Now Stella has to find a way to prevent the Winx, and especially Bloom, from getting hurt because of her stupid mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: this chapter contains scenes of non-graphic physical and psychological violence. Please read at your own discretion.

Several days have already gone by since their disastrous trip to the swamp, but Stella has yet to hear anything from Sky. Zilch. Zero. Nada. Total radio silence. As much as it hurts to admit it, she’s been checking her comm every day to see whether she’s received any new messages from the elusive prince of Eraklyon, and for that same reason, she must’ve come close to throwing her device out of the window at least a dozen times now. To top it all off, earlier this afternoon she’s had to stay longer after class: Wizgiz wasn’t happy when he noticed how distracted she was during his lecture on some of the possible side effects of human-to-animal transformations. Her friends exchanged pitiful looks as they left the classroom, while Stella stayed behind and endured their leprechaun teacher’s warnings about the importance of the upcoming first test.

Blaming Sky for her absent-mindedness these past few days may be a bit of a stretch, but she has been thinking non-stop about him ever since he asked her out and then failed to keep his word.

Determined not to sulk about it any longer, Stella slumps down in her bed and reaches for the tall pile of unopened mail sitting on her bedside table. There are some boxes surely full of new clothes she has ordered to prepare in advance for the colder seasons, as well as many fashion and lifestyle magazines from realms all over the magical dimension: she always keeps up with the latest trends and gossip, no matter where they come from. But then she notices something previously hidden underneath the latest issue of ‘Teen Fairy’.

It’s an elegant letter with a wax seal on it. Stella recognizes it, having seen pictures of it before in the thick protocol books stored in the royal palace of Solaria: together, the jeweled crown and the pair of crossed swords make up the official emblem of Eraklyon’s royal family. Her heart beats loudly in her chest as she tears the envelope open and takes out a cream-colored card to read what it says.

Prince Sky is inviting her to dinner tonight, at the Black Lagoon restaurant.

Stella squeals. She can’t help it. At last, the prince of her dreams and the very same boy she’s had a crush on for the longest time (several months by now, her personal record) has finally asked her out just like he said he would. She holds the precious letter close to her heart and dances clumsily around the room, lost in the bliss of the moment and already imagining how the night might play out.

Then a flood of questions in need of answering overwhelms her, slightly dampening her initial excitement. How will she get to Magix so late in the evening? Is it even possible to break curfew without getting caught by Griselda? What if the reporters and the paparazzi spot them together? But most importantly, what will she wear for the occasion?

Eager to tell her friends the good news and ask for their help to prepare for her date, Stella walks out of her room and into Bloom’s, expecting to find her best friend practicing some of the spells they have just learned in class or helping Flora take care of the exotic plants growing all over the room they share. But there’s no one around except for Kiko, who’s munching on baby carrots laying on his owner’s bed. Confused, Stella checks out the sitting room next, and then Musa and Tecna’s room; only to find them both as deserted as she feared.

Stella feels like she should know where her friends are right now, but the answer seems to keep eluding her. She returns to the sitting room and sits on a cozy pink sofa with a sigh: the Winx were the first ones she wanted to know about her date, though they aren’t the only ones who know about her conversation with Sky during their pursuit of the fugitive troll.

Unable to keep the news to herself for much longer, Stella grabs her comm and starts a videocall with Nova. The last time they spoke was only a few days ago, just after the whole swamp fiasco, so she told her childhood friend all about Sky’s promise to ask her out soon. It’s not only because she wants to tell her the details of tonight’s date: she already misses the frequent, endless chats they’d have back in Solaria, doing each other’s hair and nails and listening to their favorite songs as they talked. Stella hopes her friend will be able to free herself from her duties, since palace life is always hectic, but sure enough, she answers merely an instant later.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Nova’s sunny grin somehow manages to improve her already great mood.

“Hello to you too,” Stella answers with a small wave to the camera lens. “Missing me already?”

“You have no idea,” Nova lets out a dramatic sigh, though Stella would be the one most likely to react in such an exaggerated fashion. “Things here have been nothing but boring since you left. There are so few fun things to do and so many tedious chores instead…”

“That sucks,” Stella chuckles. “But we already knew Solaria has little charm without me there.”

“True,” Nova lets out a hearty laugh. “Everything here is the same, while you’re living your best life in Magix, am I right? Because if you’re calling, that means your prince has gotten in touch.”

“You got me! He invited me to have dinner tonight. And he’s not ‘my prince’! Not yet, at least.”

“He soon will, then, so don’t argue with me on that,” Nova states matter-of-factly. “Where is he taking you? Keep me updated and call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Yes, mom,” Stella rolls her eyes but smiles. “You’re so overprotective sometimes. Need I remind you I’m the oldest? Everything will be alright: I was the one who said yes, after all.”

“And you should know why I have to insist,” Nova counters. “Stella, last year you kept telling me everything was fine, no matter how many times I asked. Next thing I know, you get expelled, come back months earlier than expected, and confess your so-called friends were nothing but. So, tell me, do you still think I don’t have enough reasons to worry?”

Stella bites her lip, suddenly very self-conscious. Nothing Nova is saying is untrue, even though it hurts to hear it all raw and unabridged. She didn’t take her expulsion very well (to be honest, who would?), her roommates turned out to be the furthest thing from friends (mostly thanks to gratuitous girl hate and cattiness) and her parents weren’t exactly happy when they learned about what had happened (that being more of a huge understatement).

“You’re right,” Stella sighs, “you’re right, so forget I said that. But I’m not sugarcoating anything now, I swear: Sky has been nothing but a gentleman, I’m stoked for our date tonight, and the girls are great. You’ll love them when you meet them, promise.”

“They’re all you talk about,” Nova’s expression softens. “I even feel like I already know them.”

“Musa is the snarky one, so you two would surely get along nicely,” she lets out a small chuckle, “and Tecna humors her, even though she otherwise remains stoic. Flora’s a sweetheart: I think there’s no one in the whole magical dimension capable of disliking her. And Bloom—Bloom’s a mystery I can’t quite figure out.”

“Ah, yes, the Earthen girl: the one who’s to thank for saving you,” Nova’s thoughtful tone carries a hint of respect, or so Stella hears. “What she did was very brave; it speaks volumes of someone’s character.”

“I take it you approve, then?” Stella asks with a playful smile.

“Like you care,” Nova giggles. “But so far you seem to have fun hanging out with them, seeing as instead of having you call me nonstop, it’s been hard to get a hold of you lately…”

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous,” Stella smirks. “Relax, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Sure, Bloom’s my best friend here at Alfea, but no one could ever replace you, Nova, after all the years we’ve been together.”

“Aw,” Nova coos. “Who are you and what have you done with Crown Princess Stella of Solaria?”

Just as Stella’s about to reply, Nova’s video feed freezes in its frame; she can barely hear her childhood friend talk in a low voice with someone else before she mutes her microphone. Stella waits for a while, twirling a long strand of her hair, and at last her friend’s light green eyes and oval-shaped face come into focus.

“Forgive me,” Nova says. “That was head butler Solon. The king’s meeting with his council is still ongoing, so they’ll be having dinner while they continue their discussion. Stella, I should be leaving soon. Should—should I tell His Majesty that we’ve just spoken?”

Stella thinks again about her father’s apologetic text message and her short, uncommitting reply. She’s been meaning to call him and reassure him that she’s doing great in Magix, but her pride keeps getting in the way. She hasn’t kept in touch with her mother either, but then again, it’s not like she was expecting the new Luna, increasingly unattached and uncaring, to care much for her daughter’s life a few realms away.

“That’s fine by me,” Stella answers. “Tell him everything’s alright, and don’t give him any reason to worry about me, please. Even the most minor detail can upset him.”

“I know, I know: the king’s only worry is his precious daughter. Can’t argue with him on that.”

“Oh, shut it,” Stella says, though she’s unable to deny that she’s a daddy’s girl, alright. “Go help Solon set dinner, or you know what may happen if you’re even a teensy bit late. Councilmen are already annoying enough without being made to wait for their dinner.”

It’s then that Stella remembers where her friends are and what she was supposed to be helping them out with. She jumps in her seat, stifling a gasp, and Nova gives her a puzzled look.

“Stella? What’s wrong?”

“I completely forgot! We’re on cooking duty today. The girls must be down in the kitchen, helping Master Sfoglia prepare dinner for everyone.”

“I guess some things never change...” Nova sighs. “Go, dummy: you may still make it in time to help them out. We’ll talk later, just shoot me a message whenever you’re free for a chat.”

“So sorry, Nova,” Stella stands up and checks her hair before blowing a kiss at the screen. “Love you, will do!”

She unceremoniously drops the comm on the sofa and rushes out of the dorm, running through the castle halls all the way down to the kitchen, barely managing to avoid several collisions with faculty members and idle students alike. When Stella dashes past Griselda, inwardly cursing her high heels and their unsuitability for running even the shortest distances, the head of discipline adjusts her glasses and reminds her, annoyed, of the rule that forbids anyone from disturbing the peace and quiet of the halls and common areas. With a smile, she assures her that she won’t do it again and goes down the stairs leading to the kitchen. Stella then recognizes the large frame of Master Sfoglia, Alfea’s long-suffering resident chef, who seems cursed to remain serving food to hundreds of chatty teenage fairies instead of schmoozing with the hot shots of the culinary world.

“I’ll have a word with the headmistress about granting you a permanent exemption from kitchen duties,” the cook spouts, causing Stella to strategically retreat behind the nearest corner. “Young fairies like you lot helping out with the cooking is more trouble than it’s worth!”

He mutters something angrily under his breath while he cleans himself up with his apron. Stella wonders just what the yucky goop all over his hair and face is, but then decides she’s way better off not knowing. Patting his uniform to clean the remaining mess, Sfoglia squints his eyes at her friends, clearly unwilling to take his eyes off them even for a second.

“Now, I must clean up before dinnertime, so keep an eye on the roast!”

He turns around and leaves, heading to the stairs in short but quick strides. Stella lets herself breathe when he passes by her hiding place without seeing her, relieved to have narrowly avoided one of his infamous outbursts, and bursts into the kitchen, exultant.

“Girls!” she strikes a victorious pose as the doors close behind her, despite being almost out of breath. “I have some really wild news! You’re not going to believe it—”

“We know,” Tecna stares at her with a blank expression, and before Stella can question her, she goes on. “You managed to get out of kitchen duties. Congratulations, Stella.”

She’s not the only one who doesn’t look happy to see her: Musa crosses her arms, Flora shakes her head and even Bloom sighs as if she were trying (and failing) to come up with some excuse to justify Stella’s behavior. All four of them keep themselves busy peeling potatoes with the sharp, glistening knives they’re wielding.

“Let me tell you, I’ve got a perfectly valid reason for that,” Stella wiggles her eyebrows, and though none of her friends try to ask her for the details, she ends up telling them anyway. “I’m going out tonight! I’ve got a date! Isn’t it exciting?”

“Oh, that’s a valid reason indeed,” Bloom doesn’t sound like she’s excited for her at all, reminding Stella of her aunt Selena’s grumpy cat and its hilarious scowl.

“I’ve received an invitation,” she goes on, determined to spark her friends’ interest. “Guess who is it from?”

“Pray tell, Stella,” Musa purses her lips together. “We’re just dying to know; it’s not like we were just told off by Master Sfoglia, of all people…”

“Prince Sky!” Stella squeals with delight, taking out of her skirt’s small side pocket the invitation itself, dangling it in front of her friends’ curious faces. “Can you believe it? An invitation to Black Lagoon restaurant! Sound good, huh?”

“Wow!” Flora brings her hands together, elated. “That’s so romantic, Stella!”

“A guy who knows you and still wants to see you?” Musa raises her eyebrow.

“Ha, ha. Very funny,” Stella deadpans, though still glad to finally see her friends as excited as she is. “But what am I going to wear? I’m so out of ideas… Will you help me pick something?”

“Do you even need to ask?” Bloom grins and pushes Stella out of the kitchen, back towards their dorm. “Come on, lead the way!”

The girls make their way upstairs, chatting non-stop about the date. After Stella leads them to her large walk-in closet, made up of floating racks and all kinds of colorful, high-end clothes, her friends can only gasp and stare in amazement at the sheer number of items before them.

“Stella, you’ve got so many clothes!” Bloom says, admiring her fashion collection.

“And that’s precisely the problem,” Stella replies as she shuffles through them in a hurry. “I need something special: an outfit that’s romantic but mature, sensual but classy. Guess a dress might be the best way to go…”

“What about this one?” Flora picks a little black dress and shows it to her. “I’d wear it if I were you: it’s pure, classic, elegant… Perfect!”

“For a funeral, maybe,” Stella shakes her head and puts it back on its hanger, leaving her friend dejected. “Sorry, Flo, but for a date, I need something a little bit more—daring, so to say.”

“How about this, then?” Tecna grabs a pink gown with fake purple fur sewn to its neckline and its cuffs, one she recognizes instantly, “What were you thinking when you bought this thing?”

“I didn’t buy it,” Stella replies with a shrug.

“Don’t tell me someone gave it to you...”

“I designed it!” she exclaims as she inwardly asks the universe for more patience.

“In the dark?” Musa snickers, but she ignores the jab and keeps sorting through her gowns.

“What about this one, then?” Bloom scoots closer to her and points to a pale blue gown that she bought only a few weeks ago from one of Solaria’s best boutiques during a big shopping spree. “I think it’d look very good on you.”

“Yes!” Stella hums merrily and puts it on with a quick spell, walking up to one of the full-body mirrors to study her reflection. “You’re right, B: this one’s perfect.”

“Will Brandon be there, too?”

“Oh, no,” she dismisses the thought with a quick flip of her hand. “I’m sure Sky has given all of his servants the night off.”

“Brandon isn’t his servant!” Bloom retorts, making it clear to Stella that her comment must’ve ruffled her feathers. “He’s his squire: there’s a big difference.”

“I’m sorry, Bloom,” Stella pouts with a pleading puppy look. “Don’t get mad, please… I was just joking, alright?”

“Well, it wasn’t funny,” Bloom crosses her arms, still upset.

“But I guess it shows you do like him, after all,” Stella smirks, only to stop herself and sigh when her best friend’s expression turns sour. “I know, I know, you don’t have to tell me. It’s none of my business.”

“Then stop poking your nose into it,” Tecna scoffs, to Stella’s annoyance. “You shouldn’t have belittled Brandon like that in the first place. Isn’t he your date’s best friend, as well as his squire?”

“Point taken, Tec,” she then sits on her dresser and puts on a pair of metallic high-heeled sandals. “Musa, dear, could you please get that box to me? The large green one, over by the shoeboxes.”

After a quick nod, Musa walks over to the chest and lifts it from the floor, staggering all the way across the room till dropping it by Stella’s feet. She stands up again and wipes a few drops of sweat from her forehead, huffing.

“Ugh! That was heavy,” she eyes the trunk with suspicion. “What’s in there?”

Stella opens the chest with the tip of her platform heel, revealing the shiny, pricy, countless pieces of jewelry she has accumulated over the past years. She starts combing through them, looking for anything she can combine with her chosen outfit.

“Oh, just some pieces of jewelry,” she tries on a pair of turquoise earrings, but then discards them.

“A few pieces?!” Flora gasps, stunned by what she sees when she peeks over Stella’s shoulder.

“Here!” she slips a blue bracelet and a light gold one around her right wrist. “These are perfect! But, uh, it’s just like I thought… the ring is too much.”

Stella removes her dynasty’s prized heirloom from her ring finger, which gleams under the room lights, and beckons Bloom closer. When her best friend looks around, confused, Stella sighs and carefully takes her hand in hers, prying it open to place the jewel on it.

“Stell,” Bloom bites her lip and looks into her eyes. “It’s the ring of Solaria: why give it to me?”

“I trust you with it,” Stella shrugs, to which her redheaded friend finally relents and puts it in the back pocket of her jeans. “Besides, I won’t need it tonight. Why carry a powerful scepter when you’ve got a handsome prince by your side, ready to protect you?”

“To defend yourself in case anything goes wrong, maybe?” Tecna raises her eyebrow, puzzled, and takes out her own comm. “Because something feels wrong about all of this. I looked up the restaurant in my search engines, but I couldn’t find that name anywhere on the net. Also, don’t you find it odd that he sent you a letter instead of a private message?”

“No…?” Stella trails off, trying not to sound too passive-aggressive. “First of all, nothing is going to go wrong. We’re going to have dinner, flirt, have a good time, perhaps even kiss, and that’s it. I don’t need my ring or any other magical artifacts to help me with any of that. And excuse me if I don’t trust everything your gadgets do or do not find. You can’t expect me to cancel on my hot Eraklyon prince just because he picked a restaurant too exclusive for anyone else to find it?”

Tecna opens her mouth to interrupt her rant, but then seems to think twice about it and purses her lips together again. Stella can’t help but give her a satisfied smirk, but Musa sniffs loudly and the tension of the moment shatters.

“Uh, girls? Am I the only one smelling that?”

“It stinks,” Stella wrinkles her nose in distaste. “Why does it smell so bad inside my closet?”

“Oh, no,” Flora’s breath quickens, realization dawning on her face. “Girls, the roast!”

“Hurry,” Bloom ushers them all out of the room, “before we set the entire academy on fire!”

Stella watches them run towards the kitchen much like she did just a while ago, the only difference being the thick clouds of smoke flooding the castle, spreading the smell of burnt meat further and further. She’s in no hurry to go after them, seeing as she’s already wearing the full outfit for her date and her shoes haven’t been designed with exercise in mind, so she books an autocab with her comm before choosing a silver clutch and heading out of her bedroom, towards the kitchen.

What Stella sees when she arrives is an absurd scene taken right out of a comedy. Flora has fallen flat on her face, still holding the fire extinguisher she must’ve grabbed to put out the fire still in her hands. Griselda stands before her, soaked in the extinguisher’s thick foam; while behind her, Bloom and the others try their hardest not to laugh out loud. Stella is not as considerate, and her blatant amusement worsens the older woman’s already present frown.

“Aerofumos,” Griselda exclaims, which causes the foam to vanish along with the smoke coming from the ovens. “I doubt you have a good excuse to explain this mess, so I’m not even going to ask for it. Get back to work immediately: you better have dinner ready for the entire school in an hour, or else!”

Griselda’s heels clack as she leaves in a huff, and the Winx deflate the moment she is no longer in sight. Bloom takes a thorough look around the now spotlessly clean room and looks at Stella with a small, shy smile.

“Leftovers okay with you guys, hm?”

“That’s sure to save you a huge deal of trouble,” Stella observes, “but won’t you come to see me off first? I got an autocab to pick me up at the main gate, or else I won’t get to Magix in time.”

“Fine…” Flora relents, which convinces the rest since she’s the dutiful one out of the five of them. “But it shouldn’t take too long: we still have to prepare enough food for everyone in the castle!”

Stella reassures her that they will have more than enough time left and walks out of the building with her friends in tow, checking in the meantime the real-time location of her autocab. There are only a few girls outside, sprawling on the grass and chatting as the sun nears the horizon line. Eleanor waves to her and she waves back, not surprised to see her classmate act as friendly as she was during the preparations for the ball. She then turns to Bloom and Flora with what she hopes is an innocent smile.

“Girls, will you please cover for me if anyone asks any questions during dinner?”

“Sure,” Musa shrugs with a mischievous glint in her thin blue eyes. “When Griselda hovers over us to check that we haven’t messed up anything else, we’ll simply tell her that you’re washing your hair. That burnt smell is just so difficult to get rid of…”

“Oh, great, it’s not like she dislikes me enough already,” Stella pinches the bridge of her nose and the others burst out laughing as if they were all imagining Griselda’s likely over-the-top reaction. “I hope the rest of the class believe it too: it’s still early for anyone other than you to know about Sky and me…”

“Is that so?” Bloom tilts her head to the side, stopping short of reaching the main gate. “I mean, I thought you of all people wouldn’t care about such things. After all, you are a princess and he’s a prince: there’s no problem there, right?”

Stella clicks her tongue, chiding herself for not expecting this sooner. She’s the one who brought Bloom to Alfea from her quiet, peaceful hometown; she should know better than to forget about her best friend’s cluelessness when it comes to the magical dimension, let alone its complex and often troublesome politics. Judging from Flora and Musa’s thoughtful expressions, Stella guesses they must’ve figured out exactly why their relationship may become a bigger issue for everyone.

“It’s… complicated,” Flora answers, unsure, glancing in Stella’s direction.

“Eraklyon and Solaria are not on the best terms, so to say,” she says. “Not since I was a child. I don’t think my father, or Sky’s parents for that matter, would approve of the consequences should our relationship last long. He’s an only child, just like me, and the sole heir to the throne as well.”

“Unions between heirs to the throne from different realms only have two possible outcomes,” Tecna adds, blunt as always. “Either their families break it off, or their nations merge with one another.”

“Gee, thanks, Tec. That’s an optimistic thought to have just before a date, right there.”

“It doesn’t have to end like that, Stella,” Flora’s smile is hopeful and reassuring. “Love is strong enough to overcome any obstacles…”

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, you hopeless romantic,” Bloom looks into Stella’s eyes instead of Flora’s, even though it's clear she's the one she's talking to. “If it’s you, Stell, everything will be alright."

“Hope so,” she answers with a playful wink and walks up to her autocab, right as it comes to a stop in front of the school’s gates. “See you tomorrow morning, girls. Wish me luck!”

Stella gets in and waves back at her friends, even after the vehicle leaves them and the school behind and ventures deep into the woods that separate Alfea from Magix. The inside of the driverless car is minimalist and quiet, and Stella makes herself comfortable in its plush back seats. While her mother always found self-driving hovercars unsettling, Stella welcomes the silence; it allows her to collect her thoughts: anxiety has begun to kick in, and she’d prefer not to go on her first serious date (well, more like the only one she’s serious about) looking like a nervous wreck. 

After taking a deep breath to ease her worries somewhat, Stella rests her head against the tinted-glass window and watches as the pine trees and dirt trails turn into proper roads leading towards a sea of skyscrapers. The sun finally sets, and the increasingly dark skies make the city of Magix look like a large, gleaming orb surrounded by wilderness. The autocab navigates through its twists and turns smoothly, and it isn’t long before it stops near a small meadow. This part of the city is very peaceful, and the running water of the stream is the only sound to be heard. 

“This is the right address, isn’t it?” Stella mumbles to herself, taking her comm and Sky’s note out of her purse. 

Indeed it is, and so she climbs out of the car and watches it leave. She decides against rating the service right now, choosing instead not to waste any time and leave it for later, and walks carefully on her high heels through the little wooden bridge over the stream. When a flowery cottage comes into view, Stella smiles: just as she thought, Sky has gone all out to plan this romantic date night. However, the fact that there doesn’t seem to be anyone else around isn’t at all reassuring, so she remains alert as she twists the doorknob, unable to shake off the feeling that she’s being watched.

“Hello?” Stella takes in the dimly lit and deserted interior in stride. “Sky? Is anybody here?”

The cottage swallows her words and the only answer she gets is a distorted echo of her own voice. Stella takes another look around, but a faint thump spooks her.

“Sky, is it you? Why won’t you come out?” she takes a step back, shaken. “This isn’t funny.”

Something emerges from the shadows around her and grabs Stella’s arm. She yells, scared out of her mind. An electric shock courses through her body and after a spasm, she falls to the floor. It’s like she’s been set on fire. That pain soon becomes numbing and dull.

“Hi there, princess.”

Stella recoils when an impish face inches towards hers, sure that only a witch would wear such tacky makeup. A lump of frizzy purple hair is enough for her to recognize Stormy, who looks at her with a manic smile. Of course, her sisters flank her, confirming her suspicions that the Trix’s presence here is hardly a product of fate’s twisted sense of humor, and more like part of an elaborate plan.

“Oh, don’t look so frightened, little pixie,” Stormy grins. “We’re going to take good care of you.”

Her grip tightens around her arm and yet more electricity shocks Stella. This time, she can feel herself fading. Her consciousness abandons her body, and with it goes the excruciating pain and the certainty that the witches have her just where they wanted.

* * *

“It doesn’t work! Why won’t it work?”

Stella’s eyes twitch as she comes to, wondering who is it that has so rudely awakened her with such an irritating scream. She’s expecting welcoming rays of sunshine to help her wake up like every other morning, be it in her palace rooms in Solaria or her Alfea dorm, but what she gets instead is a dark basement (decorated with very poor taste, she must say), and the irked faces of three senior witches she’d prefer not to recognize.

Darcy interrupts what must have been Icy’s tiresome tantrum, putting her arm over her shoulder, though without leaving Stella out of her sight.

“Calm down, sister. I’m as frustrated as you are, but we both know what’s wrong.”

“It’s not that the crystals don’t work,” Stormy chirps in, oddly unbothered. “Rather, she doesn’t have the power we’ve been looking for!”

Icy turns to her with a murderous glare, though to the shorter witch’s credit, she only shrinks a little. Stella sees in their distraction a valuable opportunity and tries to move, with no luck, and it’s only then that she notices she’s suspended in the air, bound by disks made of pure, unbridled magical energy that barely allows her to breathe, let alone make any efforts to escape.

“Look, our guest’s awake,” a cruel gleam crosses Darcy’s long amber eyes, and Stella shudders. “Hope you enjoyed your beauty sleep, princess.”

“It was fine,” Stella lets out a nervous laugh, “but I’d advise you to get better accommodations. One would’ve thought you could do better than this. An abandoned cottage? Seriously? Can you be any more cliché?”

“So occurrent,” Icy’s laugh sounds everything but bemused. “Seeing as you’re awake enough to try to crack jokes, I’ll only ask you once: where is your ring?”

“We know you don’t have it here,” Darcy purses her lips, “or else our crystals would’ve reacted to it, so don’t even try to lie to us, little fairy.”

Stella isn’t surprised. The attack they orchestrated on her, the very same event that landed her on Gardenia, made it clear enough: the Trix are after the ring of Solaria, and they’ve gone as far as to kidnap her faking an invitation from Prince Sky. The question is, why? As far as she knows, it doesn’t have any special powers, nor does it do anything besides giving her light-based magic an important boost; not exactly something that would interest the average Cloudtower witch.

Bloom. She gave it to Bloom. Stella grimaces: why on Solaria’s three suns did she do that? If she tells them they’ll go after her, they’ll hurt her, and there’s no way she’ll allow that to happen. She needs to protect Bloom. Flora, Musa, and Tecna’s safety are also at stake. She cannot budge.

“Oh, I wouldn’t know,” Stella says with a tense smile, trying to sound nonchalant. “I’m so clumsy. I must’ve dropped it somewhere: I think it should be somewhere in Alfea, or perhaps in Magix City? Guess you’ll just have to look for it then…”

“Very funny,” Stormy chuckles, and that spooks Stella more than her anger would’ve. “But it’s not like we’re going to fall for it. Knowing how you pixies are, your friends are sure to have it. Still, you really shouldn’t be lying to us.”

She touches Stella’s arm, shocking her again, and she screams. It hurts, it hurts so much. Stormy’s face betrays her glee, and she stares at her with disgust: using magic to torture someone is sick, even for a witch. But then she realizes she might very well subject her friends to it too and fails to hide her panicked expression. Darcy picks up on it, and her satisfied smile reminds Stella of a shark about to devour a particularly tasty fish.

“The others have it,” she nods to her sisters. “Leave it to me.”

In a heartbeat, the witch is no longer there; instead, an exact copy of herself stares back at Stella. She realizes what Darcy’s plan is and struggles in her restraints, but it isn’t even enough to make them budge.

“It won’t work,” she grits her teeth, seething. “They’ll know you’re not the real me, and they’ll make you regret ever thinking of such an underhanded trick.”

“Don’t underestimate her,” Icy smirks. “She’s a master of deception, and you’re not exactly hard to impersonate, are you? All I see is a pampered princess with more status and privilege than she realizes and a complete disregard for anyone and anything other than herself.”

Stormy laughs with her and Stella looks away, holding to her dignity as if it were the only thing she had left. She refuses to let the witches see her cry, especially seeing as they’d surely enjoy it. She hears Darcy part ways with her sisters, presumably to leave for Alfea, and silently prays to the stars watching her from above.

_Let the Winx be alright._

* * *

The sound of quick, heavy footsteps puts Icy and Stormy on high alert, and Stella as well. They’re coming for the upper floor of the cottage, and she wonders what is going on. Before she can mull over it, Darcy appears in front of them, still disguised to look like Stella.

“The fairies are here. I put a glamour on Knut so that he’d lead them to us. Bloom has the ring.”

Icy smirks, and Stormy cackles while looking at Stella. She bites her lip, afraid of what will come next: the Winx are here, but it looks like they’re about to walk into the trap set for them. A moment ago, she was exhausted, mainly due to having spent almost all of her energy trying to escape, only for the disks restraining her to negate her light magic; but now adrenaline's kicking in, keeping her awake and ready to react.

“Entertain them,” Icy orders; Darcy teleports away and she turns to Stella. “You’re coming with me, Stella: after all, you’re the only prop I need for this to work. You’ll be the one getting them to give us what we want.”

“I won’t do such a thing,” Stella looks right back at her, determined not to back down. “Never.”

“No need for you to worry about that,” Icy grins. “You just have to stay still and look pretty. Now, let’s get this party started, shall we?”

Before Stella can think about what she means by that, the ice witch snaps her fingers and all three of them reappear on the ground floor of the cottage; right behind Darcy, who’s back to her real, ugly self with Knut the ogre, by her side. Her friends are standing up to her, and they all gasp in unison the moment they see her, taken aback. They’re all transformed, just like they did last time they faced the Trix; but now Bloom is also in her fairy form, clad in glittering blue and looking ready to take the witches down.

“I’m really sorry,” Stella forces herself to meet her friends’ eyes. “The witches tricked me…”

“There’s no need to apologize,” Bloom’s gaze softens. “It’s not your fault, but yours sure is!”

She glares at the Trix, who cackle in response, full of themselves and proud of having riled her up. But Bloom doesn’t back down, and instead points a finger at the witches and raises her chin, more defiant than Stella ever thought she’d see her.

“Now what is it that you want from us?!”

“Haven’t you figured it out yet, little pixies?” Icy takes a step forward, her hands on her hips as she advances. “We want the ring of Solaria, of course. Poor Stella, imprisoned by my energy disks, squeezing her more and more. You’d better hurry up, or else it’ll be too late for her...”

On cue to her threat, the disks shrink, and Stella starts to suffocate. They tighten around her body, crushing her ribcage and blocking her chest from rising and filling itself with air. She can’t get enough air, she can’t breathe, she can’t think straight. When black specks cloud her eyes, she closes them and keeps struggling, desperate to free herself.

“Don’t do it, B,” she manages to say, wheezing. “Don’t listen to them!”

“Time’s running out,” Icy smirks. “What’s it going to be, Bloom: Stella’s life, or her ring?”

She stares intently at Stella, still unable to decide what to do. Next to her, Flora shakes her head, horrified at what she sees.

“That’s blackmail,” she says, raising her voice, “and we don’t give in to blackmailers!”

“It’s four against three: I like those odds,” Tecna spats. “I say we fight them!”

“You’re right,” Musa says. “I think we’ll take our chances, witches.”

“Girls,” Bloom looks down in resignation. “We can’t. We’d be putting Stella in danger, and I—I just can’t.”

“What?” Musa asks, upset, but she ignores her and reverts her transformation. “But Bloom—!”

“You did it, Icy,” she takes the ring out of her jeans’ back pocket and hands it out to the witch. “You won. Now keep your word and release her.”

“I knew we could count on the soft, weak heart of a fairy,” Icy laughs with her sisters, but then she makes eye contact with Bloom and goes silent for a moment. “Normally I wouldn’t do it, but I don’t need her anymore.”

As soon as she snaps her fingers, the disks vanish and Stella collapses in a heap, trembling. Icy then joins her sisters and tosses the ring of Solaria into the air, turning it into her scepter. With a mere swing of it, they teleport themselves and Knut away, leaving the Winx behind in the cottage. Dark blotches cloud Stella’s eyes again, and she realizes that the little strength she had left has abandoned her. Still, she refuses to black out again without putting up a fight first.

She tries to focus on the blurry forms of her friends, but before she can try to crawl towards them, Bloom rushes to her side and holds her in her arms, whispering a torrent of words she cannot understand. But her voice is caring, soothing, and Stella listens to it as the world changes colors and shapes before her tired eyes, holding onto her best friend’s presence by her side as if it were a lifeline.

“It’s over,” Bloom says, and it’s then when she grows too tired to keep her eyes open. “It’s over now, Stell, I promise. They’re gone, but I’m here, and I’m not letting you go.”

Stella wants to give up. It’s her fault and her fault only: she was stupid enough to be duped by the witches, hopeful enough for the date that Sky had promised her but never seemed to happen, desperate enough to fall into the trap despite the obvious red flags that even her friends had warned her about. She deserves what has happened to her. She isn’t naïve like Bloom, good-natured like Flora, headstrong like Musa nor smart like Tecna. She’s the dumb one, the flighty one, the shallow one, the cynical one. She can be the weak one too. She can give up.

“I need you to stay awake, Stell,” Bloom says, quickly and hurriedly and almost out of breath. “I need you. You’re my best friend here, and I can’t imagine life in the magical dimension without you. I don’t even know if you can hear me right now—but I need you to stay awake, please. Stay with me, Stell.”

It’s Bloom, Stella realizes. She can’t lie to save her life; that, she knows. If there’s anything she has learned about her best friend in the (still very short) time they’ve known each other, it’s that she’s honest to a fault. And so, despite not being sure of it herself, she believes Bloom, she believes her words, and so she opens her eyes and forces herself to remain awake.

“Her breathing’s stable,” someone who sounds like Flora says from seemingly far, far away. “Now we need to keep her awake and responsive.”

“Stay with me, Stella,” Bloom looks into her eyes. “Please.”

And because it's her best friend asking, Stella does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're back with another chapter! This one's my take on the fifth episode of the series, which turned out very differently, being Stella's version of events. I had to rewrite it many times until I was satisfied with the result, so I really hope you enjoy it. And also, sorry for the late update! Now that things are more or less back to normal (or as close as they can be for now), I find myself with much less time to write, but I'll still try to post a new chapter every 1 or 2 weeks. Thank you so much for reading this story, it means a lot. Feel free to tell me your thoughts in the comment section, and stay safe!
> 
> Next chapter's summary:
> 
> _Stella has lost her precious ring and exhausted her magical energy, but after retreating to the safety of Alfea with the Winx’s help, she’s more than ready to fight back and get even with the witches. The thing is, spending an entire afternoon doing research in the school’s library isn’t quite what she had in mind, and neither is preventing sparks from flying between her friends, for that matter._


	9. The only possible choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella has lost her precious ring and exhausted her magical energy, but after retreating to the safety of Alfea with the Winx’s help, she’s more than ready to fight back and get even with the witches. The thing is, spending an entire afternoon doing research in the school’s library isn’t quite what she had in mind, and neither is preventing sparks from flying between her friends, for that matter.

The long walk away from the Black Lagoon is silent and uncomfortable. Stella can almost see the tension in the air, wedging itself between all five of them and refusing to fade away. If she were feeling strong enough, she could put smiles back on her friends’ serious faces, but it’s taking her a lot of effort to keep moving forward, even with Bloom’s help. Her best friend hasn’t let go of her hand since she gently lifted her from the floor and guided her out of that cursed cottage. Stella’s incredibly grateful for it, seeing as otherwise, she wouldn’t be standing on her own feet, though she still needs to lean on Bloom so as not to stumble. Her rosy fingers are warmer than she thought they’d be, and she finds herself recalling the energy blast that shot out of her palm when they first met.

“Back there, you—you transformed,” Stella mumbles. “For the first time.”

“I guess I did,” Bloom smiles to herself, and seeing how giddy she is now thanks to such a simple comment makes Stella chuckle. “And it felt… amazing.”

Stella can only imagine how much it means to her friend. As a princess born to one of the greatest dynasties in the magical dimension, magic has always been a constant in her life: it’s humming under her own skin, always present around her, and what makes her what she truly is. A fairy. The fairy of the sun and the moon and the stars that shine in the sky above. While Bloom is from a planet without magic, without fairies, and without any knowledge of them. Everything is new and special and amazing for her, and Stella truly wants to show her around this whole universe and enjoy watching her every reaction to it.

“But see, that’s the problem,” Musa stops in her tracks and turns around to face them. “Bloom, you transformed, and that’s great, but we all did! We could’ve fought the witches, or at least try, but instead you decided you were the leader or something, gave them the ring, and just like that—without doing anything—you let them win! So now the Trix have what they were looking for and I don’t know what they’re going to do with it, but it can’t be good for us, and...”

“What Musa surely means,” Tecna says, side-eyeing her roommate, “is that we had a more than fair chance to win that fight. Being the one with the ring, you decided to surrender, but we’re a group and these kinds of decisions are to be taken together; not by one person only. You didn’t even consider my input, and I didn’t like that; not at all.”

Stella’s at a loss of words. She avoids Musa’s angry glare and Tecna’s disappointed expression but ends up watching Flora fidget with her golden hoop earring, as uncomfortable as she always seems to be whenever there’s any arguing or fighting near her.

“I—I think I would’ve done the same thing you did, Bloom, if I’d been in your situation,” Flora raises her eyes to look at her. “But it did feel like you acted on your own, and I would’ve liked it if you had talked it with us first or just taken our opinions into account. We’re friends: isn’t that what friends do?”

The silence returns with a vengeance: no one speaks, no one moves, no one does anything other than staring at one another. Under the wooden bridge they’re standing in, the water keeps running, the stream’s gurgling noises being the only thing Stella can hear.

“I didn’t mean to disregard you,” Bloom’s voice is low but firm at the same time, “and for that, I’m sorry. I really think I did the right thing, but we should’ve acted as a team.”

Stella lets herself exhale, even though she hadn’t even realized she had been holding her breath. Tecna’s hardened face softens, while Musa nods but says nothing before she continues walking, and Flora gives Bloom a sincere smile before squeezing her shoulder. Just like before, Bloom and Stella trail after the three of them at a slower pace, though this time, Stella notices her best friend’s grip on her hand has relaxed.

“Now that I think about it, it was time the Trix scored a win against us,” Stella snickers, and her friends look at her with puzzled expressions. “I mean, they are senior witches, and very powerful ones at that, so we shouldn’t have been able to cause that much trouble for them. But we didn’t win just once: their ogre couldn’t get me the first time because Bloom showed up, the boys helped us against him later, and then we all escaped from them again in Magix City!”

“But you’ve forgotten the troll,” Flora interjects. “The witches were the only ones who benefitted from his escape: otherwise, the council would’ve read his memories and learned who had ordered him to attack you on Earth, and that’s a very serious offense.”

“You’re right,” Stella perks up, having realized something important. “The Trix must’ve followed us in the swamp! Now I’m sure I heard them while I was talking to Sky; that’s how they knew he asked me out, and so they sent me a fake invitation. I never thought they were that sly…”

“But that’s how witches are in a nutshell,” Musa shrugs. “Are we really surprised?”

“Guess not,” Bloom chuckles. “Also, they might’ve won this battle, but the war isn’t over yet!”

The girls all laugh, and at last, the invisible weight hanging on Stella’s shoulders vanishes. Soon, they reach the nearest bus stop, where they wait for the one that links the city to the three schools of magic. It’s full of students like themselves, but they manage to find seats for all five of them. Musa and Flora sit next to each other, right behind Tecna and a chatty Red Fountain girl, while Bloom leads Stella to a pair of free spaces at the back of the vehicle. Stella picks the window seat, and when she leans on the glass, her warm breath forms little clouds on it.

“Thank you,” she says, without looking at Bloom.

“Anytime.”

To Stella’s surprise, Bloom leans towards the window to take a good look at the beautiful scenery, which becomes outright breathtaking as they leave the city and its outskirts behind. The woods around Lake Roccaluce have begun to change colors, going from bright green shades to vibrant mixes of brown, red, orange, and ochre. But she’s close, too close, close enough for Stella to count the freckles that flood Bloom’s face; that must be why she finds it hard to stay focused on what’s outside of the vehicle. Her best friend smiles and soon enough, without knowing why, Stella does too; Bloom’s honest expressions are always contagious.

“I can’t believe summer’s almost over. To think that not so long ago, I was ready to go back to high school in Gardenia, and now I’m a fairy…”

“Headmistress Faragonda is right,” Stella looks back to her first real conversation with the elderly fairy. “We’re still small buds, and little by little, we’re starting to bloom.”

Her play on words isn’t lost on Bloom, who giggles. Stella smiles, satisfied with having proved that she can pull off decent puns from time to time.

* * *

When the Winx arrive at Alfea, the plaza is bustling with students of all years. Stella forces herself to keep her back straight and hold her head high, determined not to let anyone other than her close friends notice her weakened state. But after they enter the castle, they pass the main staircase for reasons unknown to Stella. When she stops in the middle of the corridor, Tecna is the first one to notice.

“What’s the matter?”

“Where are we going?” she turns around and points to the stairs they’ve just left behind. “Aren’t we going back to the dorm?”

“Of course not,” Flora’s eyes widen. “We’re taking you to the infirmary. You’re in no shape to move around as if nothing had happened to you!”

Stella’s about to complain, but her friends’ faces don’t leave any room for discussion, and so she hangs her head down and follows them without another word. Flora smiles, seemingly happy to see her go along with her reasoning for once.

“There’s an herbal tea my mother prepares that’s meant for tiredness of both body and mind,” she says as they near their destination. “I’ll prepare one for you as soon as possible, I know the recipe by heart! You’ll see how it helps you recover all your energy: it’s not right for you to be this quiet and weary… We miss the upbeat, chatty you, Stella.”

“Thank you, Flo,” Stella answers with a radiant smile. “That’s very thoughtful of you. I just hope it tastes decent.”

“That, I can’t promise,” Flora laughs, her tone lighthearted. “But I’ll at least try.”

“Will you need some assistance?” Tecna asks. “If so, I can go up with you to help prepare it. Also, I think we’ll crowd the infirmary if we all go in at once.”

“I do have to gather all the ingredients,” Flora mutters, thoughtful. “Your help will speed it up…”

“Then we’ll go with you,” Musa climbs the lower steps of the staircase, waiting for Flora and Tecna to follow her. “Bloom, are you okay with taking her to the infirmary on your own?”

“Yes!” she blurts, and Musa’s relief shows in her face when she hears her. “Leave it to me.”

“I’m not a little girl,” Stella crosses her arms and zooms in on Bloom. “I can go by myself, thank you very much.”

“Oh, don’t be nitpicky, Stell,” Bloom grins, amused. “You know I didn’t mean it that way. Come on: the sooner we get there, the sooner we can go back to the dorm.”

The door to the infirmary is halfway open. The school nurse, Ofelia, sits behind a nearby desk, so engrossed reading something on her comm that she doesn’t even notice their arrival. When Bloom knocks, she jumps on her seat, startled, but she quickly regains her composure, puts her glasses back on top of her nose, and ushers them both in.

“Well, hello, girls,” Ofelia stifles a gasp as soon as her gaze lands on Stella. “What happened to you, dear? Oh, my, don’t tell me you two were in an accident, or worse, a fight! You know I must inform Miss Griselda if that’s the case, and she won’t like it one bit. No, no, not even one teensy little bit, she won’t...”

“It wasn’t like that, Miss Ofelia,” Stella interrupts her with a weak smile. “I just tried out a new spell and it didn’t turn out very well; that’s all, I promise. There’s no need to bother Griselda with such nuisances, is it?”

“When you put it like that...” the nurse sighs, but in the end, her maternal instinct wins and she leads Stella to one of the many empty beds in the room. “First, I need you to lay down, child, to check what’s wrong with you.”

She obeys and Ofelia begins to check her pulse, her breathing, and the strength of her grip. When she whispers a short spell, Stella tries her best to stay still, even as the worry in the nurse’s gaze remains. Bloom stays close, waiting for the plump fairy to finally say something.

“Dear, you don’t have even one single drop of magical energy left on you. It’ll take you at least a day to get it all back, and for that, you’ll need complete bedrest.”

“So, you’re saying I’ll have to stay here until tomorrow afternoon?” Stella’s sure her shock must be written all over her face. “Is—is it really that bad? I feel fine, Miss Ofelia.”

“Don’t test me, young lady,” Ofelia’s nose crinkles, and her glasses threaten to fall off yet again. “The wounds on your arms are too nasty for me to ignore, and not many spells can deplete one of magical energy entirely, regardless of how many times you try it. If you don’t want me to notify the head of discipline, or worse, the headmistress herself, you’ll stay here as long as you’re told.”

It’s not often that Stella’s left speechless, but she cannot think of any response that might dispel the nurse’s suspicions, so she chooses to keep quiet. Bloom only watches as Ofelia tucks her into bed and places a lukewarm compress on her forehead to regulate her body temperature, and Stella can’t fault her for it since she isn’t willing to argue with the older woman either.

“She needs to rest now,” Ofelia states, all but pushing Bloom out of the infirmary.

“Can I come back later?” she asks as she walks to the door. “Our dormmate knows a lot about herbology and potions, and she wanted to bring Stella a homemade remedy to help her relax and get better.”

“Then I’m sure she must be one of the Linphea girls,” Ofelia sighs, unsurprised. “Do what you wish, but don’t crowd my infirmary; you teenagers can’t seem to stop doing that, and it always affects my patients. Now go, your friend has to rest.”

“We’ll come by to see you later, then,” Bloom says from the distance, followed by a small wave of her hand. “Sleep, Stell. I’m sure you’ll get better in no time.”

Under Ofelia’s watchful gaze, Stella lays on her side and closes her eyes. She forces all thoughts of the Trix, her ordeal, and her lost ring out of her head, and her hands tighten around the pillow’s edges. When she was little, she sometimes slept in her mother’s bedroom, a magical place where the night skies could watch over her thanks to the crystal dome crowning the queen’s tower. There, she used to count stars until she fell asleep.

The infirmary’s ceiling is painted with a dull beige color, but regardless of it, Stella closes her eyes and imagines a sky full of stars.

* * *

A sweet, tender voice brings Stella back from the land of dreams. Flora sits by her bed, holding a vintage floral cup that looks as old as Headmistress Faragonda and just as elegant. She keeps blowing air on it until the swirling spirals of steam rising from it dwindle, but she only raises her light green eyes when she hears Stella twist and turn under the linen sheets.

“You’re awake,” Flora smiles, keeping her voice low. “Miss Ofelia’s still asleep in her room, but Bloom came before and heard from her that you’re much better. I’ve brought you the tea: Musa and Tecna helped me brew it, and they were quite good at it.”

“I never would’ve guessed,” Stella smiles back. “Flo, thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“My powers are plant-based,” her gentle gaze stays on her, “and herbal remedies are one of my specialties. It’s the least I can do for you.”

If Stella’s sure of something, is that despite how shy and introverted she looks at first, Flora has become the group’s mom, watching over them while at the same time ensuring they all get along and remain on great terms with one another. She smiles, more at ease knowing that she has her by her side.

“Come on, try it,” Flora hands her the cup, after warning her to be careful when holding it so as not to burn her fingertips. “I’ve added quite a bit of honey to mellow its bitterness; even though I wasn’t sure, you strike me as the type who enjoys sweet things.”

“And of course, you’re right,” Stella grins before taking a sip of the slightly mint-colored drink. “It tastes much better than I thought! As you said, it’s still a bit bitter, but the honey helps a lot.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Flora’s cheeks turn pink, and Stella wonders if being praised does always embarrass her this much. “Your condition seems to have improved a lot since last evening, which is good news; though it would’ve been for the best if Miss Ofelia had confirmed it to us.”

“I must’ve looked horrible before, then,” Flora looks away, confirming her suspicions. “Ah, was it really that bad? And to think so many people saw me like that when we came back here… This was so not how I thought my weekend would go.”

“About that,” Flora cuts in. “I think Bloom came here before midnight to tell you about this, but you must’ve been already asleep by then… We found your comm inside the cottage, just before the Trix showed up.”

Stella nods, as it makes perfect sense: she’s sure she dropped it when Stormy grabbed her.

“We didn’t tell you anything because the screen was broken and it wouldn’t turn on,” Flora goes on, “so Tecna took it and got it fixed. When we started it again, you had a lot of unread messages, and most of them were from Sky, asking if you were alright and urging you to call him.”

“Sky?” Stella flushes, having been expecting everything but that. “But why? I mean, I think all of us know by now that he never wrote that letter: the witches were the ones who faked it to lure me to them, right?”

“Most likely, yes,” Flora’s face turns somber, and Stella wishes she weren’t the one causing her friend to worry. “But we didn’t know that at first, so we went to Red Fountain to ask Sky about the date, and then he told us he knew nothing about it.”

“But Darcy impersonated me. I saw her,” Stella insists, shuddering at the memory of the witch’s transformation into an exact copy of her. “How did you even know I was missing?”

“We didn’t. But she ransacked your room, the noise woke us up, and she went off on us. We were worried, so we thought something had happened and Sky was somehow involved. When he said we were accusing him of things he knew nothing about, Bloom… well, let’s say she wasn’t happy with him after hearing that.”

“Wait, what?” Stella’s eyebrows shoot up. “What do you mean?”

“She said you were missing, and that despite it being a very serious matter, he wasn’t taking it seriously,” Flora finally makes eye contact with her, trying and failing to hide a smile. “Bloom was angry, even more so when Codatorta called the boys for combat training and he had to leave. She told Sky he wasn’t good enough for you because you deserved someone better who’d worry about you.”

Whatever Stella had imagined, it wasn’t that. She finds it hard to imagine her best friend and her crush quarreling, and she doesn’t know what to make of it. Of all people, Bloom wouldn’t start a fight for no reason, nor would Sky dismiss someone else’s concerns. She stays quiet, mulling over Flora’s words.

“I thought you should know before you met either one of them,” her friend says.

Stella nods, grateful to her for letting her know, but before she can thank her, Miss Ofelia walks into the room, already clad in her white lab coat.

“Good morning, girls,” the nurse heads to the windows and opens the curtains one by one. “I see you’re feeling much better, Miss Stella. One last checkup, and should everything look fine, you’ll be free to go.”

When she hears the good news, Stella gives the nurse an overjoyed smile. It’s a good thing she’s not a spiteful person: she hates it when she’s awakened in the middle of the night, and Miss Ofelia did exactly that only hours ago. She doesn’t hold it against her, even though the sole memory of the foul medicine she was given is more than enough for her to stay wary of the nurse.

“Your treatment and Flora’s infusion have worked wonders,” she finishes said drink with one last sip. “Thank you for everything, Miss Ofelia.”

True to her word, the nurse checks her vitals and measures her magical energy levels once again. Stella complies and lets out a delighted laugh when she’s able to summon almost enough sunlight to outshine the sun itself right now despite it being midday. She only stops playing with her light beams when she realizes she’s blinding both Flora and Ofelia.

“Um, sorry,” she lets out a nervous laugh. “I always forget people find sudden flashes annoying.”

“It’d be best for you to keep it in mind,” the nurse replies, almost as stern as Griselda always is. “Well, just as I said before, you’ve almost recovered, so you may leave. I know you young fairies are always very busy during weekends, but refrain from overexerting yourself or you may have trouble keeping up in class next week.”

“Understood!” Stella takes Flora’s outstretched hand and stands up, already energetic. “Thanks again, ma’am!”

Together, they take the stairs to the upper floors and make their way to the dorm. When she sees the door to her room, Stella beams: after spending two nights far from her home away from home, she’s missed the small corner of the dorm that she considers to be truly her own. To her surprise, Flora leads her to the sitting room, where Musa’s playing the concert flute following a levitating music sheet and Tecna’s setting up a virtual game of chess against one of her techno-droids.

“Stella!” Musa rushes to meet her, and both the music sheet and the stand it rested on fall to the floor the moment she loses her concentration. “Welcome back!”

“What a greeting,” Stella giggles as Musa wraps her in a hug. “I’ve missed you too, girls.”

Flora joins in, making it a group hug, but Tecna only stands there awkwardly and makes no move to get closer. Stella doesn’t stand idly, and instead drags her pink-haired friend as well, ignoring her reluctance.

“I know you’re going to complain, Tec, so save it,” she says, earning a laugh from Musa. “Now we’re only missing Bloom… where is she?”

“No idea,” Musa shrugs. “She came from the infirmary after checking on you last night, and that’s the last we saw of her. Tecna and I fell asleep a while later.”

“I can’t blame you for that,” Stella lets out a chuckle. “Shouldn’t we go look for her?”

“There’s no need!” Bloom bursts into the sitting room, managing to sound chirpy despite having obviously run all the way back to the dorm. “I’m here!”

Flora takes her arm and draws her into the group hug, to the girls’ amusement. Stella notices Musa and Bloom seem to find being so close to each other awkward, and seeing as neither Tecna nor Flora looks surprised, she guesses it has gone on since their argument outside the Black Lagoon. While Stella thinks of a way to address the issue that will help them patch things up, Flora beats her to it when she addresses Bloom.

“Where were you? I didn’t hear you leave our room, and you weren’t with Stella either.”

“I had an idea,” Bloom’s gaze falls to the floor, but she keeps talking, “and I had to go check out something. I wanted to make things right. Yesterday, after we got Stella back, my answer to your concerns wasn’t the best, and I wanted to bring that up again.”

Stella takes in the raw emotions barely contained in Bloom’s eyes, Flora’s encouraging smile, the neutrality Tecna’s face shows, and Musa’s unsure expression.

“When Stella gave me her ring for safekeeping, I felt I was the only one responsible for it. I didn’t want to give it to the Trix, not by a long shot, but then Icy showed me they had her and I couldn’t think straight. It’s not that I didn’t believe we could ever win against them, but rather that I wasn’t capable of risking Stella’s life to begin with. The moment I saw her trapped, surrendering became the only possible choice. I acted as if I was the only one in charge when I took that decision, and I know that was wrong. I’m very sorry: I promise it’ll never happen again. I’ve already learned a lesson from this, and I hope it’s the same for all five of us.”

“Oh, Bloom,” Musa untangles herself from the others and wraps her arms around her. “Don’t be silly and come here. Everything’s alright, it’s all forgotten now.”

“Forgiveness is always the most logical thing to do,” Tecna nods. “Let’s work better as a team next time.”

“Next time I’m captured by psychotic witches?” Stella tilts her head. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Of course not,” Bloom lets out a small, guilty laugh, “but what about a rematch? I don’t know about you, but I want to get even.”

“Go on,” Musa’s eyes gleam with mischievous interest, “I’m listening.”

“I think we’re all in,” Flora sentences, without having to wait for the others to answer. “What the Trix did was evil, and they ought to pay for it.”

“Alright, then,” Bloom smiles. “This morning, I woke up early and went to the library to look for information on Stella’s ring. I set every book I found relevant aside so that we could check them together. What do you think?”

“You’re lucky Miss Barbatea didn’t catch you,” Stella shakes her head: the memory of the quirky librarian’s infamous outbursts is enough to spook her. “I swear, that woman is as overprotective with her books as a mama bear with her cubs. She’s either boring or scary: when it comes to her, there’s no in-between.”

“Nevertheless, Bloom’s idea is great!” Flora chimes in. “There’s sure to be lots of information in there to help us discover the Trix’s motives and see the bigger picture.”

“I say we do it,” Musa places her arm over Bloom’s shoulders.

“Fine,” Stella whines, uncomfortable under the weight of her friends’ impatient stares. “Ugh, this is so unfair… Weekends are meant to be relaxing and carefree, not—not like this. Just let me have lunch first: I never got to have dinner with Sky, the witches were busy torturing me to prepare me a meal, the medicines Ofelia gave me hardly qualify as food, and today I woke up late so I missed breakfast. I’m starving: an entire afternoon in the library might just as well be the end of me!”

“What was that?” Tecna smirks. “Stella, you’re surprisingly thorough when it comes to keeping track of missing meals.”

“By now, we can all agree that our princess is the biggest eater of them all,” Musa laughs, and the others join her, Stella included. “But for once, you’re right; let’s get going, or by the time we get there all the good stuff will be gone!”

“Wait,” Tecna says as they leave the dorm, “I forgot something. Be right back.”

When she joins them again in the hall, she’s holding a comm in her hands. She hands it to Stella, who recognizes it as hers and remembers what Flora told her earlier.

“You fixed it! The screen looks even better than before,” Stella hugs Tecna before she can react, careful not to drop the device in the process. “You’re amazing, Tec!”

“Ugh, thanks?” Tecna freezes in her arms. “I—I think I’ve had enough hugs to last a lifetime.”

With a hearty laugh, Stella lets go of her, and together, all five of them go down the stairs towards the dining hall. On the way there, she turns on her comm to check everything she’s missed in the past day and a half, and she freezes when she sees the latest text messages she’s received.

**[Sky]: Stella**

**[Sky]: Your friends came here looking for you**

**[Sky]: They’re worried**

**[Sky]: Just wanna know you’re okay**

**[Sky]: Where are you**

**[Sky]: Are you in trouble**

**[Sky]: Dammit**

**[Sky]: Please reply**

**[Sky]: Stella**

After they’re all seated, Stella makes sure her friends are busy choosing their food and seizes the opportunity to type a quick reply, away from prying eyes. She lets out a frustrated sigh, hating the fact that Sky has been worried because of her.

**[Stella]: I’m fine**

**[Stella]: Something happened**

**[Stella]: But it’s alright now, don’t worry**

**[Stella]: I’m sorry**

* * *

Once the Winx arrive at the castle’s library, Bloom leads them to the secluded corridor where she stored every book that might be useful to their research. Before any of her friends can react, Stella moves a nearby wooden stool and sits on it, refusing to stand up for much longer. Bloom pays no mind and grabs a massive old volume titled: ‘History of the Magical Dimension’s Artefacts and Weapons’. Having placed a bookmark beforehand, she opens it on the exact page that includes an illustration of Stella’s lost ring.

“The Ring of Solaria,” Bloom reads out loud. “Part of the lineal right of the heir to the throne of the Solaris realm: that’s you, Stell!”

“Well, I could’ve told you that myself,” Stella crosses her legs and rests her hands on her knees. “As far as I know, the ring has been in my family since forever.”

“But that alone doesn’t tell us why the witches were so eager to get their hands on it,” Musa cuts in, leaning over Bloom’s shoulder to get a better look at the book. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t think the Trix are particularly interested in challenging Stella’s position as the next queen of Solaria…”

“I’d like to see them try,” Stella smirks.

“But it’s an important and valuable object,” Flora mumbles. “Witches have always been interested in magical artifacts; it should come as no surprise...”

“The Trix are no ordinary criminals,” Tecna crosses her arms. “There’s got to be something else to it.”

“Anyhow, let’s keep reading!” Stella tells Bloom, too impatient to wait for her to continue at her own pace. “It’s time we got some answers out of that old thing.”

“According to Solarian myths and legends common to many different realms,” Bloom clears her throat before going on, “the scepter of Solaris was created a long time ago, even before the realm unified under the leadership of the mightiest dynasty of light magic users. Made of cyanite, it was sculpted out of a stone block that had previously been immersed in the Vortex of Flames, where part of the essence of the Sacred Fire can be found in this day and age. For that reason, the staff is considered one of the many gifts the Great Dragon offered to its offspring before laying down to rest in the realm of its choice.”

“Wow!” Stella’s eyes widen. “I never would’ve thought that the history of Solaria could be even remotely interesting!”

Her friends’ laughter echoes all over the silent halls of the library, but the sudden appearance of an angry Miss Barbatea still manages to catch them by surprise. The librarian’s mouth opens and closes, making her look like a fish out of the water, but she manages to keep herself from yelling at them and instead lowers her voice to a mere whisper.

“Ladies, this is a library, not a café!” she takes a sharp breath. “Next time you disturb your fellow students’ peace and quiet, you’ll be banned from ever coming back, and that’s final!”

Her heels click on the floor as she strides back to her office, leaving the girls silent in her wake.

“See?” Stella whispers, vindicated. “She’s downright vicious when it comes to this place.”

“Anyway,” Tecna interrupts, “does it say anything else about the Sacred Fire? It’s closely related to the Great Dragon, right?”

“Excellent question, Miss Tecna,” Bloom’s voice becomes shrill and uptight. “Very pleased you should ask.”

“Your impression of Griselda always gives me the chills, B,” Stella winces, though the others just share amused smiles. “Thanks, now I’ll keep imagining her lurking behind every corner.”

“This volume is only about artifacts, so I don’t think it has much more info on that subject. Musa, see the book next to you?” Bloom nods when she points at it. “Yeah, the one with the yellowed pages. This one compiles the history of magic, so it should discuss the topic more at length.”

“But B,” Stella shares a knowing look with the others as Musa hands said book to Bloom. “You don’t know anything about the Great Dragon, right? Since there’s no magic on Earth…”

“Oh,” Bloom notices their gazes and stops right in her tracks, almost dropping the book, “should I? Is it important?”

“It’s basic knowledge for everyone who grows up in the magical dimension,” Flora says softly. “The Great Dragon was the one who created our entire universe with the power of its Sacred Fire, though it’s unclear whether it did happen like that or it’s just a mythological explanation for what really happened.”

“I think it’s more likely that it represents an ideal,” Tecna replies, ever the skeptical. “You know, the embodiment of good versus evil.”

“I don’t think so, Tec,” Bloom says, lost in thought. “There are dozens of chapters here about the Dragon and its creation of the magical dimension… It’s too detailed of an account to be merely a myth: there has to be more to this story than a mere legend.”

“We’re getting sidetracked,” Stella stifles a loud yawn, “and besides, history isn’t my strong point. Let’s get to the point: how can we get my ring back?”

“It’s time for us to go on the offensive,” Musa perks up. “Let’s show those witches what the Winx are capable of!”

“Not to rain on your parade,” Tecna says, “but how are we supposed to get into Cloudtower, if that’s what you’re suggesting?”

“Perhaps we’ll let us in if we knock nicely and explain what happened?” Bloom puts on her most innocent smile. “If the witches’ headmistress is on good terms with Miss Faragonda, she may understand where we’re coming from, right?”

“Uh, don’t get me started on Headmistress Griffin,” Stella snorts. “I think I’ve got a better idea.”

Her friends’ wariness is obvious, but they don’t say anything and instead wait for her to explain.

“B, remember the basement where we found your dress?” she answers with an enthusiastic nod, so Stella goes on. “We found the witches there, which means they must’ve gotten in somehow. Could there be some underground tunnel system connecting Alfea and Cloudtower? Who knows, perhaps even Red Fountain as well...”

“Wait,” Tecna takes out her comm and begins to type furiously, almost making Stella feel sorry for the device’s keyboard. “Yes! I knew it!”

“Care to explain, genius?” Musa smirks.

“I knew I’d read something of the sorts lately,” Tecna says. “Here’s an article on a Magix news outlet about a system of tunnels that extends under not only our schools but the entire realm: even the city! There are many theories as to why it’s there; some of them go as far as to say an ancient civilization was responsible for building it and may even still live underground.”

“Sounds far-fetched,” Musa states matter-of-factly. “Anyway, so the tunnels it is?”

“Yes: it’s decided then,” Bloom exclaims, all fired up. “Tonight, while everyone in Alfea sleeps, we’ll go into action!”

Flora shushes her, afraid that Miss Barbatea will hear her, but the librarian’s nowhere to be seen. The girls take their time putting all the books they’ve consulted back in their right places, and once they’ve double-checked every single one of them, they head back to the dorm. Stella’s comm rings with a new notification, and when she reads it, she blinks repeatedly, making sure she isn’t imagining things.

**[Sky]: I’m here**

**[Sky]: Main plaza**

**[Sky]: Can we talk**

“Go ahead, girls,” she says. “There’s something I need to take care of. I’ll be right back: just go to bed if you want to, no need to wait for me.”

“Whatever you say, Stell,” Bloom says, while Musa shrugs. “Just don’t take too long or you won’t wake up in time!”

“I know, dummy,” Stella sticks out her tongue with a childish smile, “I know that.”

After the other Winx leave, she opens one of the many doors leading out of the castle and walks up to the center of the plaza. Sure enough, Sky’s there, standing in the middle of the courtyard as if he weren’t surrounded by countless teenage fairies with overly active hormones, who gawk at him as if they’d never seen a handsome Specialist before. Stella greets him with a wave of her hand, but Sky isn’t as discreet and rushes to meet her.

“Stella,” he takes her hand in his and looks into her eyes. “What happened to you? Are you okay? Why weren’t you answering my messages?”

“I didn’t have it with me,” she confesses, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “Some witches we’ve had problems with faked a letter from you asking me out on a date: that’s why the girls thought we were together. I’m sorry, Sky. I never wanted you to worry. Stars, I never should’ve fallen for their lies in the first place.”

“Why are you saying that?” the prince’s eyes narrow, leaving Stella confused.

“What do you mean?”

“It wasn’t your fault. Of course you believed them,” he clicks his tongue, “since I did ask you out back in the swamp, after all. I’m an idiot. I let too much time pass, and this happened.”

“You weren’t the one who lured me with false pretenses,” Stella says firmly. “You didn’t have anything to do with it; there’s just no way you could’ve known.”

“I should’ve been there,” Sky’s jaw clenches. “I should’ve been there for you, Stella. I care about you, and I want you to know that.”

Stella’s mind races with questions. She doesn’t want to get her hopes up yet again, but the prince’s voice sounds tender and sincere and she can’t help but believe every word that comes out of his mouth.

“I…” she trails off, unsure of how to reply. “Thank you, Sky. That’s very sweet of you to say.”

“I mean it,” he makes a short pause before speaking up again. “I care about you, Stella. I want us to be together, spend some time apart from the others, get to know each other better.”

Stella looks up, afraid to see a smirk on his face, but Sky looks dead serious and she only wants to squeal. She’s fancied him ever since they first met, and now her crush says he likes her. He’s asking her to spend more time together. He wants to be with her. If there’s a reason why Stella’s been devouring the romance section of every fashion magazine she reads, it’s to prepare for this very moment. He likes her. She likes him. They’re going to date. She might just die of happiness.

“I—I like you too,” she stops herself in time to prevent any further stuttering. “I mean, I’d like to go out with you. That’d be great, Sky.”

Sky smirks, Stella feels herself donning a playful smile too, and suddenly things don’t seem as awkward as they were only a moment ago. The prince’s amused grin puts her at ease and itching to rile him up as their usual banter often does, Stella gathers all her courage, stands on the tip of her heels, and plants a kiss on Sky’s cheek.

“Have a safe trip back to Red Fountain,” she smiles as a blush spreads across his cheeks. “We’ll keep in touch, right?”

“Yeah, let’s do that,” Sky trails off, dazed. “See you around, Stella.”

She turns around and doesn’t look back. She doesn’t stop running until she reaches her bedroom and closes the door behind her. Shaking, Stella lets herself drop to the floor, feeling her cheeks burning furiously.

She did it. She kissed him. She kissed Sky. Scratch that: she kissed her boyfriend. And she’d do exactly the same thing time and time again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back with a new chapter! This one ended up being quite long, especially since it diverges from canon a lot. Set between episodes 5 and 6 of the series, it's my answer to everything important I felt was omitted from both episodes, as well as a way to do some worldbuilding needed for future chapters. "Sky" and Stella's talk was very refreshing to write, for some reason, and I hoped the Winx's concern for Stella really shows. Couldn't resist throwing in even more Stella-Bloom moments, they're just too cute...
> 
> On a different note, have you seen the new trailer for the live-action series? There's already controversy (rightly so, imo), but I'd love to hear more opinions on the subject as well as the chapter itself! I recently found out there's no messaging feature in AO3 (it took me a long time to notice) so I was thinking of starting a Tumblr account since many authors seem to use it a lot... anyway, sorry for the long author's note. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, stay safe!
> 
> Next chapter's summary:
> 
> _Stella really wanted to stay out of trouble this year (word of a fairy), but she’s also bent on getting her ring back from the Trix and learn more about the mysterious power they’re seeking. However, she never thought she’d end up breaking into Cloudtower School for Witches to do so, nor did she imagine that the castle itself would turn against them, with serious consequences…_


End file.
